


Prince Consort

by Baknami



Category: Final Fantasy IX
Genre: Character Study, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Minor Sexual themes, Trying to rekindle old relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2018-11-05 22:25:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 56,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11022828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baknami/pseuds/Baknami
Summary: Zidane has returned to Alexandria after his disappearance.  Queen Garnet cannot seem to keep from returning to her old, dependent self when she meets him again, and Steiner is afraid that his friend will have a negative impact on his queen's sovereignty.  Beatrix just wants Alexandria's restoration to go according to plan, because for as long as they’ve been rebuilding their fine kingdom, Alexandria is still missing its Heart.





	1. Home Again

**Author's Note:**

> Alright friends there's a story to this so sit down. Once upon a time I wanted to write something about Steiner and Beatrix character studies because let's be honest that pairing is basically my lifeblood in all things, but I eventually started realizing that, as foils to Garnet and Zidane, the two of them didn't have stories that seemed to go anywhere and it just spun its wheels until I abandoned it in exasperation. Until, that is, I was talking with my friend about drama that people tend to write in this fandom. Usually it amounts to "Oh no Zidane loves to travel how can he live with Garnet in the castle!?"
> 
> To which I reply "Alexandria's huge Dali is in its borders and there are probably going to be new cities springing up in the valleys where the mist used to gather! Zidane would be the best adventurer prince consort for Alexandria how can no one even see this!?"
> 
> So I started writing it, and then I realized "wait a minute, Steiner and Beatrix are good foils for them and now I have a reason to do those character study stories I wanted to do a decade ago!"
> 
> So here we go! An After Story that no one wanted but are getting anyway. Hurray?

All of Alexandria celebrated when Zidane Tribal returned to Queen Garnet til Alexandros XVII. Not many were sure just who the betailed Tantalus member actually _was_ , but they were extremely happy about him only because he made their queen happy. It wasn't much of a secret that the queen had been feeling out of sorts ever since she and Captain Adelbert Steiner returned from the Iifa tree. It had been years, and while she still led with grace and wisdom, as she promised her people during her coronation, the maids, butlers, and guards of the castle all let slip the gossip that her smiles were always forced, and none of them seemed to be real.

That all changed when an actor who was clearly _not_ the traditional lead Marcus threw off his cloak suddenly in Tantalus' rendition of _I Want To Be Your Canary_. He went off script (indeed, a Trenoian critic later wrote about how they were distraught that Tantalus had ruined their favorite of Lord Avon's plays, and they nearly got whiplash from the queen barreling into them without so much as an apology!) and the play was pretty much finished by the time Queen Garnet charged up onto stage and proceeded to punch her lover before sobbing so grossly that the nobles of Treno could do nothing but gasp (although they eventually began clapping along with the queen's best friends, if only so they didn't feel left out).

Eventually, the young genome was able to lead Garnet off of the stage (and he thanked a young boy for returning her silver pendant after she "forgot it on the floor"), and Tantalus proceeded to pick up where the genome left off. Steiner and Beatrix made it to the doors of the palace by the time Zidane and Garnet arrived, and they helped usher the couple inside and closed the doors behind them.

From there, Garnet asked how he had survived, and Zidane was his usual vague self, implying that a simple song could save him from the wrath of the Iifa Tree. Whatever had happened, the tree had tried to tear up all of its roots and therefore tear apart all of Gaia itself, until it suddenly went quiet and withered away. It would probably be several centuries before nature reclaimed its planet from the Terran machine-creature, but for now, it was dormant (dead?), and it had mysteriously become so before it could tear Queen Garnet's beloved apart.

That evening, the rest of their friends were able to meet with Queen Garnet for a wonderful dinner. The original reason behind the dinner was going to be an anniversary celebration, as well as talk about future restoration plans. Now that Zidane had returned, however, the party quickly became a welcome back dinner. The beginning of the party had Zidane becoming acquainted with Vivi's progeny, and the news of the black mage's death was by far the most somber thing that happened that day. After Quina's magnificent feast was served, however, everyone wanted to know exactly what happened after they left him at the Iifa Tree. Most of the dinner ended up being Zidane giving stories of his adventures as he tried to find his way home.

Zidane had always been naturally sociable, and he seemed most in his element when everyone began talking to him at once about the various goings on in their own parts of the world. He never even got swamped by too many people trying to talk to him all at once, and in fact he was able to give everyone the attention they needed.

However, it was Garnet who seemed to be unable to handle all of the people. She wouldn't have minded spending time with everyone and having fun with them when the plan had been to reminisce and talk about restoration, but that was before Zidane had returned, and now that she knew he was alive, she felt a pang of possessiveness; she didn't want to share him with anyone, and she became (quite understandably) a little clingy as she held his hand during their meal. She refused to let him go, even going so far as to eat with her offhand, for she was afraid if she did release him, he would disappear, and this would all be a dream...

The festivities lasted long into the night, although there were a few that retired early. The black mages, for one, had to remind themselves that they needed their rest as they were still very young, especially considering human lifespans. Amarant, meanwhile, got bored nearly an hour into the party, and after the meal was finished and he heard enough of Zidane's "daring feats of adventure", he excused himself with the most formal curt snort he could manage before shuffling off to wherever he skulked when he wanted to be alone.

Freya, meanwhile, decided to save any information on the Burmecian Restoration Project until tomorrow, and she thanked Garnet for the hospitality before she went to spend the night at the inn. Eiko had hoped so much to be able to stay up all night and talk to Zidane, but she was still a growing girl and she fell asleep against Cid's arm before midnight. The regent picked up his daughter in his arms, and his wife kissed their "little niece" on the forehead before the three of them all retired to their guest room.

Eventually, all that was left was Zidane and Garnet, sitting together at the grand table, with Steiner and Beatrix standing a little ways away and trying to find something else to be interested in. With the way Garnet was burying her face into her beloved's chest, the royal guards quickly realized just how much privacy they needed. Steiner was used to simply turning around and staring at a wall in order to give his queen some space, and now he had Beatrix to turn alongside him and stand with him. He took a deep breath through his nose and felt the general take his hand in hers, and from there, the four basked in each others' quiet company.

"It's still so hard to believe..." Garnet confided in Zidane, arms tightly wrapped around his waist. He kissed her head but said nothing in response. He had been cocky and self-assured all day, and now he felt she just wanted some quiet to reflect. Besides, it was a little hard to believe as well.

"I figured you'd have moved on," he said, expressing his biggest fear. It had been years; he figured _someone_ would have pressured her into marriage, but then he remembered that Steiner probably believed in his friend's safety as much as Garnet did. Sometimes it was nice having "Rusty" on his side for once. "I was afraid if I came back, you'd be conflicted." There was nothing worse than being the "lost lover" in a relationship that had moved on. It would have ruined her, ruined them, perhaps.

But Garnet shook her head and buried her face into his cravat, soaking in his scent. "Never. Some of the dukes were unhappy when I turned away their sons as potential suitors, but I couldn't move on. I didn't want to, not yet."

"You couldn't have known I would return."

"I asked you to promise me."

"I couldn't make that promise." He knew, perhaps better than anyone, how susceptible they all were to death. Besides, the first thing she asked him was how he could possibly have avoided the reaper. It was hard to believe she had, well, believed he was still alive after all that time.

Garnet squeezed him tighter and did her best not to cry in front of him. They were alone (for given definitions of "alone". Steiner and Beatrix never gossiped about her when she showed "weakness" and acted as ghosts when she needed privacy), but she was unused to showing real, true emotion around Zidane. He was... their original adventure had been a whirlwind, come and gone in a flash, and afterwards he had disappeared for so long. She didn't want to think of him as a stranger, but... "Does it matter? I waited. I waited, and I don't regret a moment of it. I'd do it again, a thousand times, and I'd wait my whole life, no matter what, just to be with you again..."

Zidane let out a good-natured scoff, for he knew that couldn't have been true. It wasn't like she had a barren womb like Hilda (unless she did, he doubted anyone _checked_ ), she would have found _someone_ to bear her heir after a few decades, but the thought that she would have waited that long was nice. The nail in his rib as a response to his snorting laugh wasn't nice, however, and he tried to retreat with an apologetic chuckle. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, I just... Ow! Come on, Dagger...!"

The queen had him captive. She wouldn't let him go and she wasn't through poking him for his laughter. His pleas went unheard for a few moments, but soon she silently forgave him and reached out to hug him again. Then, for reasons not even she could adequately explain, she suddenly wanted to be even closer to him, so she lifted her head ever so slightly to kiss him, softly, chastely, on the side of his lips.

Zidane responded appropriately, turning his head a little so he could kiss her full on the lips, and at that point it was like turning on a switch inside the queen. Finally, after being apart for so long, all of their passion and desire came spilling forth. Their kisses came hot and fast, and it took Garnet only a minute before she slid from her seat and landed side-saddle in Zidane's lap. The two practically melted together in an inexperienced tangle of limbs and lips. Garnet had a little trouble figuring out how to appropriately make out, as she obviously had never done so before, and Zidane, while pretty skilled in the ways of pleasing women, actually found it a little hard to keep up with the queen's fervor. Not to mention there was a different concern... "How can- D-Dagger, seriously...!"

The queen whimpered, flushed and wanton, as Zidane took her arms and drew her away, and he gulped down the lump that formed in his throat at the sight of his beautiful summoner, looking so scrumptious and enticing. He wanted so hard to continue where they had left off, but there was a slight problem... "D-Dagger, how can you be so nonchalant about this when _Your Guards_ are in earshot?" It was extremely, _insanely_ hard to keep anything up with the thought of _Steiner_ of all people listening in. From the way the flush on Garnet's face began to pale, she just realized this too.

"Oh- Oh, I wasn't thinking-!" she began, practically falling out of Zidane's lap as she tried to keep her distance and propriety. The two turned to look at the royal guardsmen, and they saw Beatrix's shoulders heave in an attempt to keep from laughing out loud, both at the young couple's sudden attempts at grace and at the embarrassed red her own lover's face was turning.

Zidane bit back a playful "You could say that again," (he didn't want to get poked any more than was necessary, honestly) and instead he stood up and stretched, "Y, yeah, well then, I guess I'll head over to the theater ship. Hang out with the guys for a bit..." He stopped when Garnet took his hand and squeezed it tightly, taking a step forward and looking very similar to the unsure, naive teenager he knew those few years ago.

"Don't leave me," she said, pleading and wistful, like a child who was afraid of sleeping alone in the dark. "I can't... If you weren't there with me when I woke up, I don't know what I'd do."

The only thing that betrayed Zidane's reaction to Garnet's request was his tail, which suddenly thrashed wildly; the genome's face split into a comforting smile, "Is that so? Well, since you asked so nicely, I'd be happy to chase away your nightmares, Your Majesty."

The room went quiet for a moment, and everyone slowly turned to face Steiner, who stiffened when he felt everyone's eyes on him. He turned to look at Beatrix, his frown, for once, not angry but confused, "What?"

Zidane shrugged as Garnet snuggled closer to him, "We were expecting you to find a reason why it was 'improper' for Dagger and I to spend the night together."

The captain turned and looked at his queen, who, for the first time in years, seemed genuinely happy to go to bed. He locked eyes with Zidane, and his scowl seemed to just barely soften. "Zidane, there are much more important things for me to worry about at this juncture. Your spending the night with Her Majesty doesn't even register as a _blip_ on Beatrix's and my schedules. I know you wouldn't hurt her. We've known each other too long for me to assume otherwise."

His scowl returned and his eyebrows furrowed, "But you already _did_ hurt my lady, disappearing like you did, so much so that I was afraid she would never smile again. If you do _anything_ like that again, I will personally tear you apart from the inside out."

The room dropped a few degrees in temperature after Steiner's speech, and Beatrix nudged him a bit to tell him to tone down the threats of mutilation. Luckily, Zidane laughed it off and nodded. "I promise you, Steiner, I will do whatever is in my power to keep Dagger from being lonely. She is my everything..." he turned to smile down at her misting eyes, "...and I will protect her as long as I can."

Steiner took a deep breath, his chest rising as he tried to look intimidating. Beatrix smiled and spoke up for the both of them. "Your Majesty, all we wish is for you to have a good night's rest. Goodnight, my lady."

"Goodnight, Beatrix," Garnet replied, and she tugged on Zidane's arm, perhaps a little more forcefully than she should have. Zidane's smile turned playful as he moved to join the queen, and the two practically jogged from the room, taking only a moment to find a proper rhythm to run together and still hold hands. The moment the guards could not hear their giggling and pattering of feet, Steiner let out the most unhappy groan Beatrix had heard from him in years, and she turned to give him a face.

"Now what is it?" she practically demanded, "you were just saying you had no reservations about the two. What could possibly be making you so unhappy _now_?"

Steiner crossed his arms and let out a sigh through his nose, "It's not Zidane I'm worried about, _for once_ ," the captain said. He glanced at the general with a knowing look, "That is not the queen we have known these past few years."

"Yes, she is a _happy_ queen," Beatrix said, crossing her own arms and furrowing her brow, "How can you be so reserved about that?"

"She is a _dependent_ queen," Steiner hissed in reply, angry not at Beatrix but at the situation in general, "She has never been so attached to anyone before, and while I am happy she is not so gloomy, she was so much more independent. She could rule without needing to rely on anyone, as a sovereign _should_."

Beatrix couldn't believe she was even responding to this. She had thought her beloved smarter than this, but then again, this _was_ Steiner... "You are a fool if you think anyone can survive like that. The pressure of a ruling a kingdom is stressful enough without having to keep everything locked away like an unfeeling machine. We all saw what happened to that 'Terra' world. Do you really want that to happen to our own queen?"

Steiner opened his mouth... and quietly shut it. He wanted to believe there was more to it than that, but... "I just am afraid she will revert to the way she was, naive, trusting, immature..." It was so easy to act the way one had been previously when interacting with old friends. The last thing he wanted was for Queen Garnet to act like an immature teenager once more. He had lived it once before and he was _not_ excited about the prospect of it happening again.

Beatrix hummed thoughtfully at that, but once again she seemed unworried by the whole thing. "Zidane's a smart lad. I have a feeling they will find some way to keep that from happening. Besides, he can't be with Her Majesty _all_ the time. The moment Queen Garnet holds court, she will be back to her old self, trust me." She paused for a moment, "Her old-new self."

Steiner's lips twitched into a smile before returning to his solemn face, and he stared wistfully at the door that his queen and her love had left. He wanted to trust in Garnet, and in Beatrix as well, but he had spent his whole life worrying about things he couldn't control, _especially_ things he couldn't control, and it was really hard to _stop_. Sensing the captain's insecurity, the general reached out and took his hand again. "Come with me to bed, Bert. Everything will be much better in the morning." She then led her own beloved along, a smile gracing her features as he let out a resigned sigh.

"I really do hope you're right, Bea." Hoping was really all he could do at this juncture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uhm, yeah, there you go. I figure I'll do more eventually but I wanted to test the waters with it for now, see how it turns out. I really did always want to write something with these people and them just fixing the planet after everything, because I find that stuff like that would be a lot more interesting than politics ugh. :V
> 
> Also, so uh, "Bert". I just find the name hilarious and absolutely perfect as a dorky nickname because holy crap Steiner is just a big giant captain of dorks. Obviously they only use such a dorky nickname in private because one time she said it in public and now the Pluto Knights won't stop laughing at him. He is a sensitive dork, you see.


	2. Morning Rush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adelbert Steiner ensures that Queen Garnet's morning goes according to plan. Hopefully his knights don't screw everything up in his stead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to keep these chapters relatively short, because I know some of my chapters can reach like 6000 words in length and ain't nobody got time for that.
> 
> On the other hand, that means entire days are going to be split up into more bite sized chunks, since this is going to have a lot of characters all over the place. I mean, I'm starting out during an event where everyone is reunited, so of course that's going to be a lot of people hanging out. It just means that things will go slower at the beginning, being pretty mundane.
> 
> So uhm. Hope you guys don't mind mundane!

As usual, Beatrix  _was_ right about things being better in the morning, and technically, also that night. The two guards had a nice, restful night in each others' arms, and Steiner had such a quiet, relaxing sleep that, for once, it was Beatrix who woke up before him. The general was dressed in her linen undergarments by the time she returned to wake her lover by tenderly tracing his jaw. He had always been a light sleeper, so even that was enough to get him to stir, and she watched him as he began stretching in the bed. “You feeling better?” she asked, a smile gracing her features as he blinked bleary eyes.

“Hmmm? Oh, I suppose I am,” he murmured, still a little groggy. Beatrix was about to stand, but Steiner reached up and took her hand, and she turned back to him as he began sitting up. “How about you? ...Have the nightmares subsided?”

Alexandria's general tensed, and that was all the answer that the captain needed. He looked apologetic as he drew her closer to kiss her cheek, “I'm sorry...” He wished he could chase away her nightmares the way she did for him.

Beatrix shook her head and pulled away from the kiss, slipping her hand from Steiner's, “There's no point in worrying about it now. Get up; I need to strip the bedding.”

The captain sighed; he supposed she was right, and he stood up to dress himself as she began stripping the bedding for the maids. The two lapsed into silence as they worked on preparing themselves for the day. Steiner glanced across the room at Beatrix, who was slipping into a woolen tunic, “I'm going to be doing an inspection today, so I'll be leaving the queen to you.”

“Today?” Steiner asked, scrunching his face up incredulously, “Everyone's here today, it's a reunion. Can't it wait until tomorrow?”

“They'll be expecting it tomorrow, which is why I should do it today,” she explained, searching their dresser for a cleanly pressed pair of pants. “That's a big reason why your knights get all sorts of contraband items into their lockers. They know when you'll be inspecting them and they hide everything the day of.” She looked up at Steiner with a scrunched face that mimicked his now frustrated scowl, “I keep telling you this, and you brush it off _every_ time.”

Steiner sputtered as Beatrix slipped into her tights. He ran a hand through his balding hair (prematurely balding was always a normal trait of the Steiner family; there was a reason he always wore some sort of headgear outside his room) before releasing an annoyed sigh and nodding at Beatrix. “Very well then. I'll see you tonight?”

“Aye,” she agreed, turning to look at Steiner with a gentle smile, “Have fun with your friends. You must miss them a lot.”

The general's smile was reflected back at her as her captain remembered the times he spent with his comrades. “True, although I have a feeling the only person I'll be interacting with today is Lady Freya.”

“Speaking of Lady Freya, say 'hi' to her for me,” Beatrix said, stepping forward to kiss her lover on the cheek, “It's been a while since the three of us had a 'nice' time on the lam together. I'd love to catch up with her later.”

Steiner tried not to blush at the tenderness she showed only him, and instead he did his best to put on his most serious work face. “I-I'll tell her you're thinking of her,” he said as sternly as he could possibly manage.

The general burst into laughter, making the captain blush brightly despite his earlier attempts to keep from doing so, “I'll see you tonight, Bert!” she said as she walked out of their room.

...Steiner still didn't get what was so funny, but he was happy that she was smiling again.

\---

When Steiner arrived at Queen Garnet's quarters, he noted that there were two guards standing at the door. They saluted the captain, if only because Beatrix would have their hides if they didn't, and they updated him on the goingson within the queen's private chambers, “Captain Steiner, Her Majesty has awoken and is preparing herself for the day as we speak.”

“If I may ask...” the second guard asked, “Why are you here instead of General Beatrix?”

Steiner's features twitched in annoyance; he and Beatrix may not have been official rivals anymore, but the female guards of the castle still hardly gave him the proper time of day. Of  _course_ Beatrix would be a better fit for bringing Garnet to hold court for the day, simply because she  _wasn't Steiner_ . He snorted at the women (who recoiled to make sure that no phlegm flew onto them), “She is indisposed today. I am deeply sorry you will have to look at me for slightly longer than normal.” That was, longer than zero seconds.

The guards looked at each other. If Beatrix was indisposed, then... “Crystal preserve...”

“An inspection,” the other groaned. “Well, Tiana's doomed.”

“Told her she shoulda left it at home...” The two then remembered that there was a captain of the guard staring at them, and they sneered at him for his confused blinking. “What are you looking at?”

Steiner started and turned away, turning an angry red as the girls snorted at each other. Whispers of “pervert” burned his ears, and he fought to keep from screaming at them for their rudeness to a superior officer. Luckily, before Steiner could blow his top, the door opened and out stepped Elizabeth, Garnet's second cousin and lady-in-waiting, who emerged to bow before her queen. She was quite a vision herself, and with the way her hair fell past her shoulders like a straight, black waterfall, it was easy to mistake her as Garnet herself from far away. They weren't necessarily related by blood, but the two were so similar in appearance that it was hardly a secret that her mother sent her to the castle to be the queen's body double, just in case the queen's ascension wasn't taken kindly by nobles once they learned of her true parentage. Thankfully, nothing ever came out of those fears, and she was happily living out her days tending to her cousin's clothes and being hit on by the Pluto Knights.

Everyone turned to the doorway and dropped to their knees as Queen Garnet herself then walked from her room, dressed in an outfit that would make anyone swoon. It was lightly colored and had plenty of frills, so it breathed well despite the fact that winter's chill had not been fully chased away by spring's arrival. In fact, given the season, Steiner worried that it was cut a little short and she would be in danger of catching a cold, but there was no doubt she chose it so she could show a little leg for Zidane come the end of the day. Plus, it would be easier to walk around and get to the throne room to meet with the others for their meeting. They *were* behind schedule at this point (Steiner mentally kicked himself for sleeping in, but Garnet had done so as well, so it was a moot point).

Garnet looked around at her subjects before holding out a hand, bidding them rise from their places. “Thank you, Beth, you're dismissed.” Her cousin curtsied and moved to get some breakfast as the queen addressed her captain. “Good morning, Steiner,” she said as she fluffed out her dress slightly and approached him so gracefully that she appeared to be sailing through the air.

The queen moved to stand next to Steiner as the captain placed a hand over his heart and bowed. She curtsied in reply and walked onward, with the Pluto Knight walking two feet behind her, as was the custom for anyone under the queen, which, of course, was everyone in the kingdom. “Aye, it is a fine morning, Your Majesty. Ahh, if I may ask, but Zidane...?”

“Slipped out of the window before the sun rose,” Garnet explained as they walked together. “He said he wanted to meet with Ruby today, and, well, it's going to be _quite_ a boring day today, all business and no pleasure. I figure he should have some fun before we settle down for the time being.” Steiner let out an affirmative grunt from his throat, and the two walked for a moment before Garnet spoke up again, “Pardon my asking, but why wasn't it Beatrix who picked me up?”

Steiner set his jaw and tried not to let his annoyance be heard in his answer. “She is... indisposed,” he repeated, hissing through his teeth, as his jaw refused to open even at his command. ...What a sorry state he was in if even  _Garnet_ ignored his assistance and asked after Beatrix instead.

...Garnet noted that he hadn't actually opened his mouth, and she shifted to look back at him. His scowl wasn't lost on her. “Steiner, what's the matter?” she asked curiously.

Poor Steiner started and then sputtered when he realized that the queen had stopped everything to ask him about his foul mood. He felt just like when they were traveling together and she had begun to chastise him for butting heads with Amarant or Zidane. He couldn't even make eye contact with Garnet at that point. “My apologies, Your Majesty. I am... unsure myself what the problem is.” He knew deep down that the queen's question was because Beatrix was her personal bodyguard, while the Pluto Knights were generally more for protecting the citizenry rather than the castle itself... but something didn't sit right with him, and he couldn't just let it go. “I swear, my lady, I shan't let it interfere with our work today.”

“Oh, I'm not worried about that,” Garnet replied as flashed him a brilliant, beautiful smile that was completely devoid of any falsehood, “I just want _you_ to be happy too, Steiner. I want everyone to be as happy as I am now.”

The captain could feel his heart squeeze in his chest, so hard that it was a chore simply to breathe. He wasn't sure entirely how to respond, so he simply went with, “I don't deserve your kindness, Your Majesty.” Garnet responded by grinning even further before she continued her walk with her guard at her heels.

\---

It didn't take too long for the two of them to arrive at Garnet's throne room. It was referred to colloquially as Garnet's because it wasn't her mother's throne room, the one Brahne held court in, because the last one was destroyed when Bahamut attacked Alexandria. While the guards had worked to make the castle livable, Garnet had insisted that the restoration be focused on the rest of the town, and so her throne room was, for the time, naught but the old war room, complete with a large table that could fit maps of all sizes on it. Garnet decided that they should use it as a meeting hall instead, as there was no more need for wars.

When the two arrived and Steiner opened the door for his queen, the young royal practically slid along the floor with a giggle, taking only a few moments to cross the large room to the stage where Beatrix once announced battle strategies and orders to her army. Now, instead, there was a finely made wooden throne on the stage. It was made on short notice just a scant two days after her coronation, but Garnet accepted it as a wonderful gift from the many Alexandrians who wished her all the best as their new sovereign.

Garnet let out a soft, wistful sigh as the memories came flooding back when sitting in the chair, and she ran a hand along the delicately carved feathers in the wood. She was looking forward to making new memories, with Zidane by her side, but she would have to finish business today before she could be with him again.

Her sigh was less relieved and more annoyed as she settled on the chocobo-down cushion and beckoned for Steiner to remind her of the daily goings-on that were planned today. The captain jogged across the room (she couldn't understand why he would wait all the way over there until she called for him like he was some sort of pariah, but his mind was almost always a mystery to her despite how simple he was) and she stretched her arms across the wooden arms of the chair and slumped in the throne like a child who didn't want to eat her vegetables. “Do you know when Uncle Cid will be arriving?” she asked as Steiner pulled out a list of the plans that he and Beatrix had prepared the day before.

Steiner cleared his throat before he read off the list. “Blutzen and Kohel have been tasked with escorting the Regent and his family to the meeting hall; they will be arriving in but a few moments.” Garnet's smile turned cat-like; she knew that those two were always late for everything, much to Steiner's usual chagrin, “Whereas Breireicht has already been sent to accompany Lady Freya and Lord Fratley to meet with us. As you may already know, our first order of the day is finding ways of securing enough materials for rebuilding our three great kingdoms, and from there we shall...”

Steiner nearly jumped when someone slammed into the door to the throne room, and Kohel, Pluto Knight III, barreled into the room, skidded to a stop just inches from slamming into the table, and saluted his superiors between his desperate gulps of air. “His Royal Highness... Regent of Lindblum...”

Steiner winced and Garnet sat up straight and hid her delighted smile behind her hands as Blutzen, Pluto Knight II, blundered into the room after his partner. The two saluted and continued once more, “His Royal Highness, Regent Cid IX of Lindblum!”

“And family,” Blutzen added quickly, nudging his partner.

“And family!!” Kohel shouted, mentally berating himself for forgetting that extra tidbit. They immediately shuffled to the side as Garnet stood and Cid stepped into the room. Hilda and Eiko would have followed behind him as appropriate, but Eiko wasn't known for propriety and dashed out from under his cape the moment she saw Garnet's shining face.

“Dagger!” the summoner shouted, nearly tripping over her dress (“Please dear, _do_ be careful when running on the tile!” Hilda called) before leaping into her best friend's arms. Garnet twirled the girl twice before setting her down and listening to the summoner's excited squeals, “We had to wake up early today but I was _so_ bored waiting for Father to finish getting dressed so I went playing on the banisters and when I was sliding down one I fell off and chipped a tooth and then...!”

“You did _what_!?” Hilda cried, striding past her husband to inspect her daughter with all the fuss and bluster of a mother hen. Hilda pulled Eiko's lips back to check her teeth, and she blinked when she found two pristine rows with nary a scratch. “Which one? Where is it?”

“Well obthiouthly ith not chibbed now!” Eiko whined until her mother released her, “I just healed it, naturally!”

Hilda let out a relieved sigh, although she clearly didn't think it was as funny as Cid and Garnet (who were trying not to chuckle so audibly) felt it was. “W-well then, Eiko. I think Queen Garnet is going to be very busy today talking about boring adult things.” She reached out and took the princess's hand. “Let's go shopping in the city; we can find some gifts for your cousins and you can play with your new black mage friends.”

Eiko swished her dress back and forth, her eyes bright and shining, “Can I play in the mud with them!?”

“Absolutely not,” Hilda said with a smile, shaking her head, “besides, there are plenty of other fun things to do that don't involve making extra work for our guests.”

Eiko harrumphed, but she turned to wave at Garnet. “Sorry you gotta do _boring_ stuff Dagger.”

“I'll survive,” the queen said with a smile as the regent's wife and daughter moved to leave the meeting hall. Just as they exited the room, however, they heard Breireicht, Pluto Knight VI's, voice from down the hall, and Hilda and Eiko waited for the Burmecians to arrive so Eiko could give them a greeting befitting her new status of royalty.

“It's very nice of you to visit our queen during this time of restoration,” Breireicht said as he approached the meeting hall with the Burmecian attendees.

“Of course,” Freya said, a gentle smile on her face as she remembered the wonderful times she had with Garnet and the others on their adventure, “I wouldn't have missed this anniversary of our journeys for the world.”

Fratley coughed, “It's nice to be able to see Alexandria again. I've visited once or twice, but I don't remember the visits myself.” There were many things he  _didn't_ remember after that particularly nasty head wound from a stroper three years back, but his loyalty to the crown and his desire to improve his skills as a dragon knight never wavered. As the three talked among themselves, they came upon the meeting room, where Hilda was already preening her daughter so she was prepared for a proper curtsy.

“Now then, dear, just like I taught you...!” Hilda said, and Eiko stuck out her tongue like a vomiting Qu before she held her dress, dipped low, and came back up. “Very good for your first try!”

“Din't you nothith my thung?” Eiko asked, turning to face her mother with her face still screwed up in disgust.

“I used to do it myself when I first met your father,” Hilda explained (prompting a chuckle from her husband) before turning to the Burmecians, who were taking the time to bow as well. “We are heading to the markets; I apologize that you cannot speak with Eiko just yet.”

“We'll have time later,” Freya replied, smiling at the summoner. “Find something bright, okay?”

“Nothing's as shiny as my earring!” Eiko proclaimed happily. She turned a little and waved at Garnet before she noticed Steiner standing behind her and looking as serious as normal, “Oh!! Mister Steiner, I forgot to say; I was going to get you some gysahl pickles!”

Steiner raised his eyebrows, a little surprised, “Is that so?” He tried not to let his watering mouth become too apparent, but it wasn't until a moment passed that he realized she mentioned she was  _going to_ get him some. “You decided not to?” he asked, slightly confused.

“Because you kicked me out of the castle like some _common girl_ instead of realizing I'm a _beautiful princess_!” Eiko replied, taking her mother's hand and stalking off with the smuggest look a child could possess.

Steiner, meanwhile, let his scowl return; he honestly should have seen that coming, “For the record,” he muttered, still feeling like he should defend his point, “I removed her from the premises because she was being a  _loud_ common girl, and was bothering the staff of the castle.” And by “staff”, he meant “himself.”

“Well, we all make mistakes, don't we, captain?” Cid asked with a chuckle. Steiner's scowl creased further as the three Pluto Knights still in the room began giggling to each other.

“Don't you have somewhere else to _be_!?” The captain howled, shaking a fist at the knights. All three jumped in horror before charging from the room with worried yelps as Steiner shouted after him in rage. At least he had something he could take his anger out on, for once.

Freya, meanwhile, cleared her throat loudly and coughed to get everyone's attention, and even Steiner quieted down to allow her to continue, “I do not mean to interrupt this quite  _engaging_ conversation,” she began, a smile tugging at her lips as she approached the large table and looked over a map of the Mist Continent, “But I wish to go over the Burmecian Restoration Project so we're all on the same page. Sir Fratley is here to assist me in my explanations.”

“How goes your search for Prince Puck?” Garnet asked as the second dragon knight bowed before approaching.

“No luck, I'm afraid,” Fratley said unhappily, “Lady Freya and I assumed he would be here, but it appears we do not know his mind as well as we thought. Not to worry, however, the prince is very spry, and he has been able to survive on his own before. ...We just wish he knew his father's condition; His Majesty would like to see Puck one more time before...” Freya coughed, and Fratley shook his head, “But that is neither here nor there. Lady Freya, if you would?”

“Of course,” she said, and together, the three leaders began their formal talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uhm, I have some new characters to introduce, really low key stuff. Elizabeth was just a lady-in-waiting/body double I wanted to stick in there so I had someone to follow Garnet around when Beatrix wasn't there to dress her. I wasn't sure how to make her look so I figured "Body double" was the easiest to work with.
> 
> My sister asked if she looked like the original Garnet, then why didn't the family just choose Elizabeth to replace the dead princess instead of Sara, and I guess the answer is that Sara arrived on Alexandrian shores very soon after Garnet's death, and so they figured it'd be better to use a common girl who was an orphan rather than trying to fake a royal's death to replace her, or something. So instead we have a woman who is technically more royal blood than Garnet serving under her as a lady-in-waiting. ...Only time will tell if Beth actually cares about this or not.
> 
> ALSO PS Whatever! I totally subscribe to the theory that the Pluto Knights are based off of the Main Characters of the FFs their number represents. So Kohel, Pluto Knight III, is forgetful and messes up a lot because he is similar to the "younger" characters Onion Knight and Luneth, who are like 13 years old.
> 
> Blutzen, Pluto Knight II, is closer to Firion, in that he's a little older and gets things done, but he and Kohel kind of stick together like glue because they complement each other (PS I call them "partners" in the story because they're supposed to be the Super Sleuth duo, but you can take that title anyway you want ;V).
> 
> Breireicht, Pluto Knight VI, is apparently one of the older knights, as he can't jog up the tower stairs without passing out, but he knows the names and abilities of every other knight. I tried to use Terra and Celes' compassion to explain why he cares so much about knowing everyone in the castle and their idiosyncrasies. He's definitely not a warrior knight, but he's good at reporting on Alexandria's repairs and where to get different resources to, so he's an important part of the Pluto Knights regardless.
> 
> And Steiner, Pluto Knight 1, is literally Warrior of Light from Dissidia. Like, they aren't even all that different aside from the fact that they don't specifically make WoL a loser comic relief character (even if he's accidentally hilarious).
> 
> Other Pluto Knights will be used in later chapters, definitely, and each one will have their own personalities expounded upon, because I'm crazy like that.
> 
> (Oh PPS the Burmecian King is still alive because holy crap like everyone survived the destruction of Cleyra what the heck, but I guess his wounds are catching up with him and he's on death's door. That's about it)
> 
> Sorry this was a wall of text. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Please send me a comment saying what you liked or even didn't like about this! I'm always happy to hear ideas!


	3. Errand Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet has an errand for Steiner, but the captain can tell she just doesn't want him around. What could he possibly have done to deserve all of this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO GUYS sorry this took so long, I was actually finishing my first draft of "The Darkness Within", which is a "crossover" of FF9 worlds in an FF3 style lore thing. That thing was like a decade in the making so I really just wanted it DONE. Now I just have to rewrite it and make it not so crappy.
> 
> Anyway here's more Steiner Misadventures. XOXO hope you enjoy it!

Hours passed as Cid, Freya and Garnet spoke about each country's plans, stopping only once for a quick lunch delivered by Quina (they stayed in the room after the delivery, settling in a corner and munching on a perfectly seasoned berry pie). Lindblum had begun plans on a new mining operation on the Forgotten Continent, as the Aerbs Mountains that Lindblum originally were mining from had not only been mined so to the brink, but digging so deep was getting much more dangerous for many of the workers, and Cid would rather not have a cave in cause any more loss of life.

Burmecia, meanwhile, was settling on working with their dancers and geomancers, hoping to draw magic straight from the planet itself. They had been hoping to work with the dryads that lived in the area. Perhaps, once everyone worked to rebuild, they could focus on regrowing the forest that the Vube Desert now inhabited. This would come after many generations, of course, but Burmecians tended to live in the future, always attempting to find something to work for. Idle hands made for idle minds, after all.

Alexandria was working hard as well. There was always a lot of problems with population, as the cities of Alexandria and Treno tended to be so full of people that land was always hard to come by. Garnet thus had the idea to have many of Alexandria's finest and bravest (Steiner always thought that was such a  _kind_ way to refer to people he would usually call “degenerates”) to create a new home in the Zamo Basin near Evil Forest.

“Aren't your people afraid of the Evil Forest?” Cid asked, a little worried himself for their safety. “I've heard plenty of stories about that place, and none of them inspire much relief.”

Garnet, however, shook her head, “The Evil Forest has been petrified ever since we passed through those few years ago, but there are other wooded areas in Zamo Basin. We're hoping to start a logging industry down there, and bring up the wood to rebuild Alexandria as well as expand our farming in Dali.” The queen smiled at both Cid and Freya. “With both of your help, perhaps we could find a way to use our resources and share them appropriately.”

Freya nodded. “Burmecians care for our own, first and foremost, but I think that some of our geomancers, given the proper incentive, could try to keep the forest at an equilibrium between growth and deforestation...”

“The wood from Zamo could be used to build our airships, which we could buy from you with parts and other such things...” Cid's mustache twitched, which showed that he was smiling brightly. “Let us all work together for a brighter future.”

“Of course, Regent,” Freya replied as Fratley stood up to his full height and placed his hands behind his back. “Sir Fratley and I will relay the messages to King Burmecia. We'll decide what to do from there.”

“Indeed,” Garnet agreed, feeling a great weight lifted from her shoulders. For once, she felt that she wasn't alone in rebuilding this world, in making it even a little better than she had seen it as a princess.

The meeting seemed to be adjourned, but Steiner noted Freya's glinting glance in his direction. She cleared her throat, and when Garnet and Cid looked up at her, she coughed and shrugged her shoulder in the captain's direction.

Thoroughly at a loss, Steiner turned to blink in confusion at his queen, whose eyes brightened in understanding. She turned to face Steiner, and the knight suddenly felt very cold when he noted her apologetic look, “Well, uhm, Steiner? It's uhm, close to dinner, isn't it?”

“Dinner close...?” Quina asked, rocking back and forth to create enough momentum to thrust themself onto their feet, “It still two hou-”

“Yes. It's _close_ to dinner,” Garnet said, turning and pursing her lips at the Qu. Quina blinked, shrugged, and waddled out of the room with a grumble. Steiner felt even worse than before as his queen turned back to address him, “The point is, I was hoping you could pick up Zidane while we waited for dinner to be finished.”

Garnet was usually better at lying than this. Perhaps it was because Quina didn't back her up, or perhaps it was because she forgot about needing to lie, and thus she didn't plan for it. All Steiner knew was that when he glanced back at Freya, she suspiciously could not meet his eye, and Fratley coughed into his clawed hand.

Cid noted the suddenly awkward atmosphere and immediately went to pouring over the maps, jotting down ideas in a notepad of his for future reference when he returned home. The captain might have once, long ago, followed her orders to the letter; Garnet was a  _queen_ and he was the son of a dead branch family noble. There was no way he could grasp the nuances of fine royal thinking, much less speak up against it. ...That was a previous Steiner, and  _this_ Steiner was tired of being shoved aside. “Your Majesty, I completely understand that you wish to see Zidane as soon as possible, but  _surely_ I can send one of the Pluto Knights out to-?”

Garnet cut him off curtly, “It would be nice, but you know Zidane so much better than your men, and I would think there is a lot for you two to catch up on.” Her tone had changed to one of royal authority, the one that Zidane always chuckled at (and probably was turned on by) and Steiner cowered under. She would not brook any further argument. “Go, Steiner. I will see you at dinner.”

Steiner's jaw dropped. He puffed himself up for just a moment before realizing it was useless to resist, especially since it seemed  _no one else_ in the room wanted him there either. Was he really such a bother? He set his jaw, tried to hide the way he balled his hands into fists, and clanked from the room with an icy disposition.

He was furious. First Beatrix reminded him of his lack of ability in keeping his subordinates in line, then he was gawked at by the women in the army, and now Queen Garnet not once, but  _twice_ , told him implicitly  _and_ explicitly that she didn't want him around, mucking things up in their delicate talks. He hadn't even  _said_ anything, but apparently that wasn't enough either. Not even  _Freya_ could stand looking at him.

He passed by two Alexandrian guards, who immediately shuffled away from him, not because they were disgusted, but because the feeling of gloom and rage that surrounded him was enough to make them scared witless. The moment he passed, one whispered to the other, “Remind me again how that 'king of sunny dispositions' got General Beatrix into his bed?”

“Please, Kathy,” the other replied, her grin turning feral, “The General brought _him_ into hers. No one chooses a man like that for their _personality_ , if you catch my meaning.” 

Steiner may not have heard the whispered exchange, but he  _did_ hear the girls giggling to each other afterwards, and it irked him even further as he approached the boat to Alexandria Town. Laudo, Pluto Knight IV, was handling the oar as Steiner approached, and the timid writer immediately sank low and tried to look as small as possible as his captain bore down on him. “O-oh, Captain Steiner. Are you on your way to the city...?” he asked as his superior clomped onto the boat, rocking it a bit as he did.

“What does it look like, you fool!?” Steiner shouted so loudly that Laudo nearly dropped his oar. “Just get us to the other side, _pronto_!”

Laudo tried very hard not to whimper or cry as he pushed off of the dock and set them across the moat to the city, and the Pluto Knight trembled as Steiner strode from the boat and growled at the guards stationed near the gates. The women snarled back, which only made Laudo wish he had a spine like them. Alas, writing was for people with  _sensitive_ souls, and so he had to live with crying whenever Steiner chewed him out.

He really should have quit the Pluto Knights when he had the chance...

\---

Steiner tromped down the Alexandrian plaza with a singular goal in mind. The captain wasn't the brightest tool in the shed, but he knew Zidane well enough to know where he would be haunting about if he ever ended up in Alexandria.

...Twenty minutes later, after stomping into the Morning Star Bar and scaring the customers into telling him the whereabouts of a certain monkey-tailed vagabond, the knight walked back out of the bar, perplexed that Zidane hadn't once set foot in there all day. Where else could the damn child _be_?

Steiner was silent for a moment until he remembered that there was a hive of scum and villainy in the alleys near the slums. Surely Zidane would visit places like that regularly. Oh, right, his friend from Tantalus worked there too, that might be another, perhaps better, reason to check it out.

The mini-theater, which, last Steiner knew, had no real name, was just as run down and ramshackled as the last time Zidane brought the group down to visit. To be fair, most of the restoration was focused on homes and houses, and this was just a theater and bar, but it wasn't hard to tell that it was similarly run-down before Bahamut's attack, and it had been spared most of the destruction that plagued the city that night. Steiner could hear the laughter of a few people, including a couple of very familiar voices, even before he started clomping down the stairs, and when he arrived at the bottom of them, he noted three people, two of which were laughing in one of the corners of the room. The one with the obnoxious laugh was none other than Weimar, Pluto Knight VII. He was laughing with Zidane, quite obviously, and leaning against a table that the cake-faced “actress” named Ruby was sitting on. The three were hitting it off well, with Weimar telling one of his “patented” jokes.

“And he says to the bartender, 'that's no Hedgehog Pie, that's my wife'!” He burst into laughter, and Zidane crossed his arms, leaned against the wall, and chuckled, shaking his head. Ruby seemed less than amused by _that_ joke, but she cracked a smile nonetheless, happy just to see that Zidane was enjoying himself.

Weimar's laughter stopped, and a chill ran up his spine when the three heard the ominous clanking of a certain Pluto Knight Captain. A shadow was cast over the younger knight's form, and he looked up at the glowering face that sneered down at him. “Ah. Ahaha... Captain Steiner! What brings you uhm... out here?”

Steiner took a deep breath, held it for one second, and released it. “Weimar, please tell me where you're supposed to be from seven to nine?”

The Pluto Knight blinked from under his helmet, and he looked at Zidane, who shrugged in return, “Uhm, over in the merchant's square, helping keep the peace. OhhhhhhhrightmaybeIshould-” Weimar was cut off when Steiner grabbed his shoulder and squeezed hard enough that the jokster flinched. Everyone looked up at the captain as he pointed up at the ceiling, towards the square.

Three. Two. One. A bell rang once, twice, thrice, and so on until finally, the seventh ring wafted into the air, and all eyes were on Weimar once more. “So uhm, I lost track of the time? I'm sorry, I'm not that late, I can just-”

Steiner crushed Weimar's shoulder, and the Pluto Knight actually shouted in pain as the captain roared in rage. “Walk there in  _thirty_ minutes!? If anyone,  _anyone_ , is hurt from rising tensions or brigandry by the time you have arrived I will  _personally_ flay you  _alive_. Is. That. Clear!?” He didn't even give Weimar a chance to respond. He tossed the young man across the theater, and the knight barely had time to hit the ground running, shouting apologies as he charged up the stairs.

Steiner growled and hissed after Weimar, feeling so  _good_ for being able to yell at something, but also feeling it just wasn't enough. It wasn't until Ruby let out a whistle that the captain remembered just where he was. He whirled around to apologize, but the actress beat him to it, “He always like this, Zidane?” she asked, eyeing the genome.

Zidane shrugged and stretched a bit before pushing off from the wall he was leaning against, “Sometimes, although...” he looked up at Steiner and noted the throbbing vein in the captain's temple. “Maybe we need to get some fresh air. See you around, Ruby.”

“Y'all come back now, sugah!” Ruby replied as Zidane sauntered out and Steiner followed behind, sputtering all the way. “Especially since yeh'll be in Alexandria fer a long time now.”

\---

Steiner grumbled as the two walked along in the stinking alleyway. “Fresh air, you say? Somehow, I don't find this much fresher than the hole we just walked out of.”

“Hoooooookay!” Zidane proclaimed, whirling around and pointing his hands straight at the captain, “You wanna talk about this foul mood you have going on, Steiner? Because there's 'foul mood', and there is _'foul mood'_ , and you hit that part ages ago and rocketed past to Terra and back. What's going on?”

Steiner sputtered for the hundredth time that day. “I don't know what you're talking about. Come, Queen Garnet requests your presence at dinner tonight, and we don't want her to be kept waiting.”

“You can say that again,” Zidane said, less agreeably and more lewdly, “But come on, Steiner. I know more about you than you know, and you were never this... well, _you_. You'd think having a smoking hot girlfriend would make you calm down a bit.”

Steiner let out an exasperated groan, completely aggravated at Zidane's lewd and irreverent behavior towards his  _queen_ , “I told you, there's nothing wrong, you're being paranoid.” Zidane clucked his tongue, absolutely certain that the way the captain was clenching both of his fists was a dead give away that he was lying, but before Zidane could call him out on it, the captain crossed his arms and snorted. “Why do you care, anyway?” He practically spat, “It's not like you ever cared about me before.”

Zidane scoffed and stopped his walk, leaning against a wall and aggravating the captain further (“We have somewhere to  _be_ , monkey-boy!”) The genome then gave Steiner a look that mimicked the knight's. “I never cared about you before? You really want to go with that?” the two glared at each other for a bit, Steiner with his stubborn hiss and Zidane's tail flicking stressfully. Finally, the genome snorted and turned away, “You know, if Vivi were here, he'd...”

“ _Don't_ ,” Steiner said dangerously, his tone so venomous that Zidane stopped as well, and when the young man looked up at the way Steiner set his jaw and his eyes fought to remain focused, he realized what the real problem was.

The thief bit his lip and nodded, turning away. “Yeah... I wasn't thinking when I said that, I'm sorry.” The genome stopped and let out a deep, resigned sigh of his own. “...I... I visited the village, back when I was still trying to rough it on my way back to Lindblum, but I didn't get there in time. By the time I arrived, his grave was already there. I...” Zidane stopped, and Steiner realized, after a half second, that the genome had  _choked_. “...I was too late.” The captain and young man fell into an uneasy silence, and Zidane's tail flicked a bit as he barked a laugh, “I should've been faster. If I could have seen him, even one last time, I...” He stopped when he noticed that the Pluto Knight went to a pack that he had squirreled away under his armor. After a moment of fumbling, Steiner produced a letter.

“Hmmm,” he began, trying to think of how to word his next sentence, “I was there. The day Master Vivi... stopped.” It was harder to say the actual word; he preferred the black mages' term for it, even though it was just him hiding from the truth. “Queen Garnet could not make it; she was too busy here in Alexandria, so she begged me to go.” A frown appeared on his face when he remembered that: “Beatrix _ordered_ it. I-I am grateful they understood, although they needn't have been so forceful about it. I suppose it helped assuage the guilt I felt for leaving the town, even for a few days.”

Zidane eyed the letter in Steiner's hand as the captain got a far away look in his eyes. “He was moving so slowly. Like a...” he grimaced, like he had been forced to eat a slab of rotting meat. He didn't even bother trying to find an appropriate word for what he was thinking, and kept going. “But before everything was said and done, he was still thinking of you, Crystal knows why.” He grumbled a bit and handed the letter to the genome, the grimace taking on a pained look as he continued. “He wanted you to have this, and he entrusted it to me for its delivery. Not even the moogles could find you apparently. So take it; I should be happy to have its weight off of my shoulders.”

Figures the guy would be worried only about the “honor” of finishing a promised task rather than the pleasure of giving something that rightfully belonged to another. Zidane raised an eyebrow as he took the inconspicuous letter, and while his instincts told him to tear it open immediately... something inside him decided against it, and he slipped it under his vest and into his breast pocket. “Thanks, Steiner. And I'm sorry again, for opening up old wounds. I guess I just haven't thought of him as... you know.”  _Gone_.

Steiner shook his head. “Do not mind it. Let us just go. I would be happy to return to the castle. We should do it quickly, so Her Majesty does not look down on me more than she already does.” Zidane cocked an eyebrow as the captain began to move, and the genome instantly put two and two together. Of  _course_ the reason he was so out of it was because he felt Garnet (or Beatrix, really) was angry at him. The young man padded up close to the clanking knight, and they walked in silence for a little while. It was around the time that they arrived at the square that Steiner suddenly cleared his throat. “Zidane...?” he asked, his voice, for once, small for such a big mouth, “Do you think that I'm...?”

The captain was interrupted by a loud squeal, and a young girl with a basket of groceries approached Zidane with a triumphant shout, “Mister Tail!” she cried, waving the genome down happily.

“Yo Ilia,” Zidane said, dropping down on his haunches to greet the girl at eye level. “How are you today?”

“Zidane, you know this ragamuffin?” Steiner asked, perplexed. He cocked an eyebrow at the genome, who chuckled and shrugged.

“Well, we met sometimes when I wander the streets, right, Ilia? How's your grandmother doing?” Zidane's eyes fell on the girl's basket, which was filled with foodstuffs, and he blinked in confusion, “Did you need to go to market on your own? No one's been bothering you, have they?”

The girl smiled and swung her dress side to side, “No, everyone's so busy working. I'm helping too, so we're all working together!” She lifted the basket to show Zidane the groceries, “Grandmother can't come to market anymore. When the big dragon caught everything on fire, some of it got in her eyes and she still can't see anymore.”

Steiner winced; there were so many people who were hurt by Kuja's and Bahamut's attack on the city. He just wished he could have made it to the citizens in time. Zidane, however, was thinking about something else. “Your grandfather is rebuilding the city, and you're buying food? What is your grandmother doing?”

Ilia frowned and an unhappy pall settled over her demeanor. “Grandma can't work. She used to make such nice clothes, but now all of the cotton is being used to make bandages and blankets.” The genome looked over at Steiner, and the knight captain nodded.  
  
“She speaks the truth. We have nothing to spare on idle pleasantries like new clothing.” And Garnet already donated most of her wardrobe to sopping up wounds and dressing the peasantry. It broke Steiner's heart almost as much as it made it soar that she was _his_ sovereign.

Zidane frowned, scratching at his rear thoughtfully (Steiner sighed inwardly at the rogue's, well...  _roguishness_ ), “Hmmm... well, everyone should find some way to work, and I'm sure she's not feeling okay with sitting around being taken care of. Just sit tight, okay? I'll find something she can do tomorrow.”

Ilia looked at Zidane with bright eyes, ever reverent of the genome, “Thank you, Mister Tail! Thank you for coming back; I saw you from the roof during the play yesterday; Queen Garnet was so happy to see you! Thank you for making her smile again!” Zidane, for once, was caught off guard by her devoted announcement, and she peered at him with her loving smile, “Will you stay with us in Alexandria? Will you become Queen Garnet's _beloved_?”

Zidane tried to keep from reacting so surprised to her question, but thankfully, it was Steiner who coughed loudly enough that the genome laughed and flicked his tail in delight. “Well, who knows? I mean, I'd like to stay for a while, if Dag- if the queen'll have me.”

Ilia rocked on her heels, her smile widening profusely. “I saw the way she hugged you. She wants to  _marry_ you, I bet! She even had one of her guards be your bodyguard to protect you!”

Ilia smiled up at Steiner, who sputtered in rage. How was it that he had been working for the people of Alexandria for nearly two decades, and they  _still_ saw him as little more than a  _bodyguard_ for people who by all respects should be working under  _him_! He trembled and took a step forward, ready to verbally berate the small child, but suddenly Zidane, who noticed the tense mood in the air, burst into laughter, and caused both Ilia and Steiner to blink at him in confusion. “Oh no, Ilia! You got it all wrong! Steiner here's not my bodyguard, he's my friend!”

Steiner started, completely caught off guard at the genome's announcement, and he went very quiet as Zidane continued, “I bet you have somewhere to be though, don't you? Go take that home and say 'hi' to your grandmother for me, okay?”

Ilia nodded and waved as she started off. “Okay! Goodbye Mister Tail! I'll see you tomorrow!” Zidane stood back up (and stretched a bit to work out the kinks in his legs) and waved the child off as Steiner stood, completely silent.

“I meant it, you know,” Zidane said, shrugging at the captain as Steiner blinked at him. “About you being my friend. You're not the best person to hang out with all the time, but you try, and honestly, that's enough for me, Beatrix, and Dagger.” The genome rolled his shoulders as Steiner considered this point, “So don't put yourself down so much, okay? I don't think your blood pressure could take it.” There was nothing else that needed to be said, and the thief turned on his heel and practically bounced off towards the castle. “Come on, let's not keep her waiting, yeah?”

It took a moment for Zidane to hear the captain clank up beside him, “Indeed, hmm...” he coughed into his gauntlet as they walked together before he worked up the ability to say “thank you for that, Zidane.”

The genome's smile threatened to crack his face in two.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who remembered Ilia existed? *I did*. I also remembered she has a grandmother, who was living in that house that most people visit first thing in Alexandria as Vivi. Do you remember she was good at weaving outfits and stuff? *I did*. Apparently Zidane did too. Let's just assume he visited the place once or twice during Disk 3 or something.
> 
> Laudo is Pluto Knight IV, and given the theme, he's based off of Cecil, which makes complete sense. Cecil was actually one of the more weak willed and simpering main characters in the series, especially as a dark knight. He knew what he was doing was wrong at the beginning but he didn't have the spine to speak up about it. It was Rosa who had to kick him into shape, and it took *murdering Rydia's mother* to make him realize that maybe he should grow that spine for once. Will Laudo grow his!? Find out Next Time on Dragon Ball- wait.
> 
> Weimer is Pluto Knight VII, and this is where the theme KIND of falls apart, if you ignore the fact that Cloud had like all the chicks and even dudes trying to date him. Switch it around a bit, and you got Weimar hitting on a woman "At the Pub", and also trying to pick up a cute "Flower Girl" near the "Chapel" in Alexandria. Talking to the flower girl gets you the line "He's not all that smart, but he is cute!" Sounds a lot like an FFVII Cloud who got his brain screwed up by Jenova cells, huh? Plus how can you think original FFVII Cloud was anything but a doofus with lines like "Let's mosey" anyway? Weimar is actually secretly OG Cloud and you can't tell me otherwise.
> 
> Anyway, I got another chapter I want to do that will finish up this day and we can continue to other things! Hopefully bigger things, but let's be honest this has already turned into "Mundane Misadventures, the Fanfic".


	4. Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steiner and Zidane return to the castle, and Garnet reveals the dilemma she is facing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo all! Been a little while! Sorry it took so long, I was, once again, working on The Darkness Within, which is totally up here in Ao3 under my old name because that was the name it was originally uploaded with, duh?
> 
> Anyway if you like Steiner and Garnet definitely check that shiz out, I promise you it's enjoyable, even if it's not overly romantic. Anyway, on to the actual story!! Which is down below. ...If you didn't already realize that.

As Zidane and Steiner made their way to the castle, the two of them encountered Eiko and Hilda, who had finished their shopping and were also on their way back to the castle. The princess rushed up to them with a shout, Zidane dropped down before she bull-rushed and bowled him over, and the two of them embraced for a moment before Eiko pulled back. “Zidane, Vivi's children are so much fun to play with! I'm so jealous, they can go anywhere they want without anyone watching them, but Mother has to make sure I don't 'get into trouble'.”

“That's just how it is with princesses and nobles,” Zidane replied with a good-natured shrug. She couldn't have assumed that being royalty would be all fun and games, seeing as how Garnet was her friend. The young man stood and stretched a bit, adding offhandedly, “If you want, I'm sure I can take you out for a day or two though. Give Hilda a chance to herself.”

The queen regent noted Eiko's starry-eyed expression, “It could be like a  _date_!” she crowed, and Zidane chuckled as the four walked together towards the castle.

“A playdate, yes,” Hilda replied, reminding Eiko of the proper wording for such a phrase, “I shall discuss it with your father tonight.”

Eiko let out a joyous squeal and charged for the gondola that would take them to the castle. When Laudo noticed her rushing headlong towards him, the Pluto Knight let out a scream and cowered as the princess leaped into the boat and rocked it a bit just to get a reaction out of him. Laudo continued to cower, clutching his oar, as the others approached, and Steiner immediately set to chewing him out, as usual. “Laudo, get up! You're making the Pluto Knights look bad!” the captain ordered, and Pluto Knight IV let out a whimper before standing very, very slowly.

“U-understood, I c-can take y-you to the o-other side...” he whined. Eiko and Zidane chuckled at each other for their _ingenious_ prank and Steiner rolled his eyes. The gondola itself was fairly cramped for four and one Pluto Knight, but with the men standing while the women each took a seat, it didn't end up too bad.

Contrary to Laudo's fears, thankfully, the boat didn't sink, and he gave a prayer of thanks as Eiko shot out of the boat and zoomed towards the castle. It appeared that Cid was there to meet them, and he was happy to have his daughter fly into his arms as Hilda, Zidane and Steiner followed behind.

“Ah, Zidane,” Cid said amiably as he lifted up and bounced his daughter a bit, “Queen Garnet said you were about town. I take it Alexandria is doing well?”

“As well as it can be,” the genome replied with a shrug, “The people are working hard, but there's only so much you can repair in two years' time, you know?” Despite all of it, the gears were already turning in the young man's mind. It wasn't like Garnet or Beatrix weren't doing their hardest, but it seemed like there was a long way to go before the city was back to some semblance of normalcy.

Steiner coughed, “Please excuse me, Regent, but Queen Garnet expressly asked for Zidane's company, and I must get him to her as soon as possible.”

Cid chuckled, which caused the captain to purse his lips. “Ever the straight lace, aren't you, captain? Well, I shan't keep you. I shall see you at dinner, once we've settled down and freshened up.”

Zidane gave Cid a sneaky apologetic look, and he waved at Eiko before he and Steiner continued on towards the castle. Overall, the place was rebuilt only so far as to make it livable, as the genome recalled hearing that Garnet had ordered the workers to focus on the restoration of the city. That appeared to be why a lot of the stone masonry had just been shoved out of the general walkways, and the ceilings were merely boarded up rather than actually repaired. Given how much work had to go into Alexandria even now, it would probably be several more years before the castle returned to its full glory. ...Zidane still wasn't entirely sure where he saw himself in that time. He wanted to believe that he would still be welcomed in Alexandria... but he had learned a long time ago not to take anything for granted.

“Is everything alright?” Steiner asked, snapping Zidane from his reverie. The young man turned to glance at the captain, and they climbed the stairs together as Steiner continued. “You're usually a lot louder than this.”

Zidane guffawed, “Pot, meet Kettle!” he crowed, “You're the one who's mouth is at least twice as big as mine!”

Steiner coughed, his scowl returning. He muttered something under his breath, looking put upon, and the genome chuckled a bit before jogging along towards the royal chambers. He didn't have to go far, thankfully, as Garnet was standing out on the balcony and speaking with Freya. Zidane jogged up the stairs to get a better look at Garnet's knee length spring dress, and he slid next to her to take in the sights. “Holy crap your legs go on forever,” the young man breathed, his tail flicking excitedly. Garnet barely regarded him, finding that if she reacted too much, it would only encourage him to continue, and instead, Freya only glanced at him from under her helmet. When her eyes flicked up, her fight-or-flight senses kicked in when she saw Steiner's angry, hurt face.

The Burmecian shook off the cold feeling of someone walking over her grave, and she turned instead to the queen, “Well then, I shall see you later, Your Majesty. Fratley and I must continue searching for Prince Puck. Please consider the king's request. I understand it might be... difficult, but our people desire closure, and there is no other way to do so.”

Garnet bit at her thumb, her frown apparent and her eyebrows knit in deep concentration. “I will... consider it, at the very least. I can only imagine how the Burmecians must be feeling. I would hope that  _you_ understand, at least, why this isn't an easy decision to make.”

“Of course. You know that I will accept any decision you come to. You will always have a friend in me, Dagger.” She gave her friend a soft smile before bowing and turning to leave the castle. Steiner's stone-faced glare was much more cutting as she passed by, and the dragon knight's pace quickened as she bound down the stairs two at a time, as if running from the group.

Zidane wasn't an idiot and picked up on his friends' icy dispositions, but before he could even consider what the reasons behind them were, he felt Garnet place a hand on his shoulder, and he decided there was something much more important to focus on: the hot, sexy lady at his side. “How was your day?” the queen asked as he turned to smile at her. His reply was simply taking her free hand in his, kissing it with a devilish smirk.

“It was nice to visit Ruby, but not nearly as nice as seeing you again,” he said, pulling her closer. Garnet didn't push him away, but the two melted together in a deep, easy kiss. Garnet's arms wrapped around Zidane's neck and hung there languidly as Zidane held her close and squeezed her tight.

Steiner released a hacking cough to remind everyone of his presence. He might have been used to being invisible when Garnet needed to be alone, but he had no problem with getting under Zidane's skin. The genome in question groaned loudly when he pulled away, and he tried to ignore the queen's chuckling at her lover's red face, both from anger and arousal. “You did that on purpose, didn't you!?” he insisted, turning to glare balefully at the Pluto Knight.

Garnet burst into laughter when her captain shrugged in response. “That is a distinct possibility, but she _did_ tell me that it's almost dinnertime, and I wish for her only to eat on time.”

Zidane snorted, “You can say that again...” he muttered, and Garnet giggled, perhaps for an entirely different reason than the genome's joke. She reached out and took his hand with a smile, “Come on, there will be time for that later. Steiner's right, the others are waiting for us.”

Well, they were waiting for  _her_ , but Zidane supposed Eiko still wanted to talk to him. He couldn't just ignore everyone else. The queen tugged a bit on his hand, leading him down the stairs towards the dining room.

The rest of the guests were waiting, and Garnet was right: there was time, there would always be time later.

\---

Dinner was a cordial affair, although the amount of people had been reduced drastically since yesterday. The Regent and his family spent their dinner with Garnet and Zidane, but unfortunately the Lindblumians had to be on their way back in the morning. Eiko was distraught when she heard that they were leaving so soon. “It's not fair...! Zidane and I were going to go on a date!” she practically whined.

“A playdate,” Hilda made sure to correct, “and nothing had been set in stone, Eiko dear. Your father has to return to Lindblum and start the restoration plans. The faster Lindblum is up and running, the faster we will have a little more freedom.”

Eiko went quiet, trying not to pout, and Zidane leaned forward to smile at the regent's daughter. “Hey now, Eiko, you know I'm not all that busy myself. I'm not a king or anything, so I'll visit you the moment I'm not too busy, okay?” He didn't mention that “being busy” meant “keeping Garnet company”, but the way Cid snorted a bit showed that the other adults were on essentially the same page.

Regardless of Zidane's original intentions, his offer was able to placate the young royal enough to calm her down, and dinner went on without a hitch. It was a quiet, mundane conversation, interrupted only once or twice by Quina coming in to collect used plates and add their own two cents to whatever was being brought up.

In fact, the time after dinner was just as mundane and lighthearted as their dinner. It was the last day the Fabools could stay in Alexandria, so Zidane and Eiko made the most of it by clambering about the palace, with Hilda watching serenely from a little ways away (just to make sure Eiko didn't get hurt in ways she couldn't heal). Garnet ended up retiring in the library with Cid, and the two spent most of the evening considering what little surviving texts there were on the Summoner Tribe. It wasn't hard to notice that the queen was still very interested in her people, and what the future might hold for them now that they were down to only two.

Steiner, meanwhile, would have been alone afterwards, but as he moved to make his usual rounds near the castle, he felt a familiar arm wrap around his, and he turned only slightly to smile at Beatrix's smug face. “Is this arm taken, sir knight?”

The captain let out one laughing cough as the two easily fell into a comfortable stride together, and he shook his head as he continued the teasing, “Of course not, fair lady. This arm is only for you, after all.” Beatrix's chuckle lasted for a moment as they walked. It was the same patrol route they both knew very well, so it wasn't that they were taking time off. They just so happened to be manning their patrol at the same time ...of course.

A quiet moment passed between the two of them as they walked, until Beatrix let out another chuckle as a memory came to her. “I'm sorry it took so long, Bert. There was a lot more contraband than I was expecting. I was beginning to run out of horrible things for them to clean. I finally settled on having them clean out your knights' quarters.” Steiner stared at his lover incredulously when she turned to smile slyly at him, “They're going to be so angry about having to clean up after such slobs that they're going to be especially hard on them. I'm expecting a lot of your own unit to be brought forward when my unit finds stuff that your men were trying to hide. I'd look into what punishment you're going to give them tomorrow.”

Steiner snorted, “I might just pound them into paste,” he growled, his foul mood not entirely gone. Beatrix picked up on it immediately and cocked an eyebrow at the way the captain clenched his fists.

Beatrix's eye watched his balled-up fists, and she pursed her lips, a pitying smile on her face, “Care to explain why you're sulking so much, Bert?”

The captain twitched, and he self-consciously stretched his fingers out as the two of them slowly walked the castle grounds together. “...Zidane noticed it too. Am I really that easy to read?”

“Dear, you're like a damn book, I'm sorry to say. Queen Garnet is just too kind to point it out all the time.” She almost mentioned that she had told him this many times before, but when she heard his exasperated sigh, she bit back her remark, and spoke up about something else, “...Bert... If you want to talk about something, I'm here for you. You know that.”

Steiner clenched his hands, released his balled-up fists, and looked away. Her patronizing pandering wasn't very helpful, especially since she was being hypocritical. She would implore him to talk about his problems, insisting that he was being “like other men” who couldn't talk about their feelings, but the moment he implied that she should talk to him about the problems  _she_ faced, she suddenly became just as tight-lipped as he was at that moment. “There's no point in worrying about it now,” he muttered, mimicking her words to him that morning. The way Beatrix faltered in her step showed that his pointed remark's ulterior meaning was not lost on her.

The mood was broken, and Beatrix pulled away from her lover, crossing her own arms in thought as she looked away from him as well. The two had stopped their walk in front of the castle moat, and the two looked out at the lights of their beloved city.

They did not speak a word to each other the rest of the night.

\---

Night fell over the city of Alexandria, and when the Fabool family went to go to sleep, Zidane and Garnet quickly moved together to retire for the evening. Their little “trysts” were hardly hidden, and they knew that soon gossip would spread like wildfire through the entire city. Heck, the peasants who had interacted with Zidane before already knew him, so it was only a matter of time before the news worked its way up into every facet of the citizenry.

Zidane had already settled into the queen's bedroom as if it were his own, although that was probably just because he was Zidane, to be honest. The genome settled on Garnet's bed, his tail flicking lazily as he watched the queen brush her hair out. She was sitting at her vanity and watching him from the mirror, and their eyes met through the glass, allowing them to share a quiet moment together, without worrying about politics, or sex... the latter was especially hard on Garnet. She knew that it would happen eventually, but she was so used to not having to think about it. However, that night when she had asked if Zidane could get out of those dirty clothes and take a bath for once in his life, he immediately made a snarky comment about her wanting him to take off all of his clothes, and she stopped bothering to ask him to do _anything_ for fear he would find some way to twist it into an innuendo.

...She slowed the brushing of her hair, and Zidane, strangely enough, was the one who spoke up first, breaking the quiet tension in the air. “So I actually had a question, if you're not busy.”

“Is that a jab?” Garnet asked, a smile gracing her features as she watched him sit up, “Is everything okay, Zidane?”

“Everything's fine with me, but I was talking with Steiner, and he was worried you were angry with him.” Garnet stopped mid-brush, and Zidane looked up, his eyebrow quirked, “Wait, _are_ you mad at him?”

The queen sighed. “Of course not,” she replied, although her countenance was a little guilty. She paused for a moment, and a mischievous smile appeared on her face as she placed her brush on the vanity, “No more than I usually am, mind you.”

Zidane chuckled a bit, but he stood up and moved to wrap his arms around Garnet's shoulders (“Zidane please, you're icky and dusty...!” she tried to implore), “So what's the problem then? He was pretty distraught about the whole thing, and I mean, I'm not worried about him so much, but if we have to live in the same castle as him, then we might as well make sure he's not screeching all the time, you know?”

Garnet let out a small, thoughtful hum in agreement, but she looked him in the eye through the mirror with a very apparent frown on her face, “I don't... Zidane, I don't know what to do... the Burmecians are so angry... Freya and Fratley said that so many people are demanding retribution...”

Zidane placed his chin on his arm. He had an inkling about where this was going. “Haven't you and Beatrix discharged the soldiers who were being assholes during Alexandria's occupation of Lindblum? You guys have been doing everything to show that war isn't what's on your mind.”

“That's true, but that's not what the Burmecians are angry about.” She placed the brush on the vanity and looked up at Zidane, directly in his eyes, “You said it yourself, Beatrix hasn't been discharged. Mother's dead, and to many people, she is the last person who has not answered for her crimes.”

Zidane didn't say a word, but he looked into her eyes and noted the wetness that shimmered... He couldn't find any words, but he immediately began putting the pieces together in his mind. “...Ah.” Was all he could get out. “...Does Beatrix know?”

“She does. I told her the moment the letter arrived first asking me to turn her over to their courts.” Garnet shook her head, “I'm certain if I did, they'd parade her about; it would be a show trial. I can't send her off... they would _kill_ her.”

Zidane didn't say anything about that, but instead leaned further on her chair. He sensed there was something more to this than just that, as it wouldn't be a problem to just say “no”. Freya even said that she would help Garnet no matter what decision she reached, so... “Wait... does  _Beatrix_ want to go through with it?”

That's when the silence became deafening. Garnet dropped her head and she clasped her hands together. “...She left the decision up to me,” the queen began after a moment to choose the right words, “...But ever since she heard the news, it's like she's become a dead woman walking, awaiting her sentence. Perhaps, either she thinks that I will do so, or she feels that it's the right thing to do.”

Zidane pushed off and began to pace. So that's what was going on. “So you're trying to spare Steiner's feelings by not telling him.” All of them knew how he would react if he got the news. He was a protective person by nature, and he believed in Beatrix's honor above all. He would do whatever it took to keep her out of harm's way.

“If I... If Beatrix and I decided to go through with this, however, he would be distraught. He wouldn't know what to do.” He would have to choose between protecting the honor of his kingdom or his beloved. “Beatr- we just don't want him to be hurt...”

“Sorry to mention,” Zidane muttered, turning to face Garnet with a serious frown, “But he's already hurting. You're keeping all of this from him. He's an adult, and older than all of us. He's been through just as much as any of us; he can handle knowing the truth of the matter. The fact that you're not giving him any credit is probably what hurts him the most.” Garnet looked up at Zidane, her eyes still misty as she realized the problems she and Beatrix had created for the person they were trying to spare. “Tell him, Dagger. He of all people deserves to know, and it should be by _you_.” If Zidane told the captain, it would just prove that Garnet didn't trust in him enough to bother to do so.

The queen opened her mouth, and she dropped her head down once again, suddenly finding her fingers a lot more interesting. “You're right. I-I hadn't quite considered that point.” To be honest, it was Beatrix who asked not to let Steiner hear about it, but now Garnet was realizing why that might have been a mistake. “I should speak to him tomorrow. I have no doubt that you're going to be busy again in the daytime. Is Tantalus still here?”

“Nah, Baku bitched me out and told me that they were done babysitting me.” Zidane shrugged at this revelation, his smile widening just a bit, “To be fair, they had to take a week to nurse me back to health. I'm sure they were all glad to be rid of me. Besides, I wanted to meet up with someone else tomorrow. You think I can borrow some cotton? Well, not _borrow_ , per se.”

Garnet stood up from the vanity, moving to settle on her bed. She was not surprised _at all_ when she felt the genome tackle her from behind and nuzzle her neck. She tried not to laugh out loud at the tickling sensation when she felt his soft stubble on her skin, “What could you possibly need cotton for, you little monkey?”

Zidane drew her into his embrace and drew her into his lap after sitting down on the mattress, “I've been hearing that someone in the city's not able to do too much manual labor, but she's a wiz with the spinning wheel. I bet she could spin some nice thread even with her eyes closed, so to speak.” The genome smirked when he saw the queen's quizzical look before he finished his thought, “So if I could get some unspun cotton to her place, I'm sure she could do some work, and the tailors can spend their time actually weaving instead of spinning, you know?”

Garnet took some time to process this before nodding. “That sounds okay. I'll write up a letter of recommendation for a couple of basketfuls. Why don't you take one of the Pluto Knights with you? What was his name, Haagen? He's a hard worker...”

Zidane wracked his brain to remember that one. Number VIII, was it? He was the one who tried to tear the genome apart back before the whole kidnapping mess started. Well, trying to beat the crap out of a kidnapping thief could be seen as “hard working”. “Sounds like a plan. Now then, where were we...?”

“Zidane _no_ , you're icky and dirty and I'm putting my foot _down!_ ” Garnet giggled, pushing him onto the mattress before hopping up herself. “Either you scrub yourself down or you're sleeping on the couch! I can't have myself getting caked in dust every time I wake up!”

“Aww, but that's the best part about waking up...” Zidane chuckled playfully, bouncing from the bed and jogging to her bathroom.

Garnet let out a gentle laugh as she watched him go, tossing off his vest as he did. She reached down to beat it outside of the window and hopefully get some of the dirt off, but she noticed a letter in his breast pocket. Curiously, she pulled the letter out and read off the name. “It's from Vivi...?” she questioned, flipping it over to glance at the unbroken seal. “...When did he get this...?”

She placed the letter on the end table and moved to beat out the vest outside of the window. It was the least she could do now that he actually listened to her. ...For once.

The queen giggled when she heard a few wet footprints approach her, and she turned softly to smile at the watery genome. “I uh, I wasn't gunna draw the water for a bath so I just did a sponge bath. Sswhat I'm used to and all.”

Garnet was about to ask if he even knew how to settle down and relax, but she supposed those two were diametrically opposed, at least to Zidane. Besides, he was already kissing her; she nearly melted under his touch, as by the time he pulled back, she noticed her legs had given out and she was being supported by a smirking monkey. She slapped at him with a laugh and twisted out of his grasp, tossing his vest at him as she spoke, “Well, at least you're not all grainy. How can you live like that?”

“You get used to it, I...” Zidane looked at his vest's pocket, and his eyes widened for the briefest of moments before he let out a breath of relief when he found Vivi's letter. “Oh thank goodness, I thought I had lost it when I was climbing the rampart with Eiko.”

“No wonder I heard Lady Hilda screaming from the library,” Garnet chuckled, settling near the head of the bed while Zidane settled himself on the side and tore open the letter.

The queen watched as Zidane, still clothed in nothing but a towel, began to read over the letter. He pursed his lips, but he couldn't stop his bottom one from quivering. Garnet immediately moved forward, reaching out and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

_I always talked about you, Zidane. How you were a very important person to us, because you taught us all how important life is._

Garnet read the letter over Zidane's shoulder, and she placed her hand over her mouth. She barely noticed the genome's heaving shoulders as he fought back the tears.

_Why I was born... How I wanted to live... Thanks for giving me time to think._

The tears wouldn't stop, and they flowed freely down both Garnet's and Zidane's cheeks. The queen squeezed her lover tighter, and together in each others' arms, they mourned their best friend as silently as they could manage.

_My memories will be part of the sky..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we go! I told everyone this would be mundane stuff but then I remembered that I can't go like two days without drama. Since, you know, like, two days has technically passed since this story started. Get it?
> 
> Anyway! I remember a lot of people really disliking Beatrix, and while I think she's awesome I can totally understand where they're coming from: at no point in the game can you actually fight and beat Beatrix and just show her up. Hell the one time Steiner beat her it was a fluke! I can see why people would be annoyed that they couldn't finally punch her in the face for being a smug jerk.
> 
> Second, and a more realistic reason, Beatrix kind of committed like Burmecian genocide? At least attempted it? It's kind of true that yeah, she should at least pay for it. But she's obviously really sad and guilty about the whole thing, so maybe the fact that she has to live with this stuff is enough punishment? Do people who do bad things deserve to be unhappy the rest of their lives, even if they're sorry and work hard to make things right?
> 
> It's a difficult thing to answer, and I'm not entirely sure myself how to answer it, but I wanted to try, as most after stories don't even bother looking at it.
> 
> On the bright side, Haagen's going to be appearing, along with an extra special *Secret Pluto Knight* perhaps!? Who could it be?????


	5. Groundwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zidane has noticed that not everything is perfect, even in the castle. The Genome might need to lay some groundwork for getting all of his friends back on their feet.
> 
> Meanwhile, Garnet speaks with Steiner about the things she kept from him, with an apology for him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo Broskis, I had a great Christmas back in the States and now I'm back to work! I might have also been playing like every game under the sun; some things never change.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this part of the story, at least! I wanted it to be longer and include some Haagen but let's be honest I sat on this too long. To be fair, I also was rewriting it because it needed a lot of work, but I've also learned when enough is enough, and when to start cutting for the purpose of being, well, active.
> 
> READ ON!

The next morning came early for the Alexandrian residents. Zidane awoke with the dawn, and he got to watch Garnet's beautiful sleeping form as she drooled on the pillow.  _She_ drools.  _I can't handle how cute she is,_ the genome thought to himself. It was around that time that he realized that he was still nearly naked, and while he wouldn't mind it so much when he was back with Tantalus, he was trying to at least  _pretend_ that he was a gentleman, and Garnet was, well, she was adorable and cute, but he was quickly learning just how much she didn't appreciate his jokes.

He moved slightly, sliding out from under the covers and practically falling out of bed in an attempt to keep the queen from waking up. He really hoped that Garnet appreciated how much of a goddamn gentleman he was being because hoooly crap.

Zidane grumbled to himself as he put on his trousers, and by the time he got his vest on, he snorted a bit as Garnet stirred and actually  _whined_ . She was probably missing the genome's warmth, as he noticed she reached out for the pillow he had just left. He was about to croon at her adorable behavior, but she grabbed at the pillow and gasped, “Zidane? Zidane!?” she cried, suddenly frantic.

Zidane jumped to her side when she pulled at the sheets to look for him, “Hey there, hey,” he said, reaching out to kiss her temple. Garnet gasped, whirling around on the bed, stopping only when she came face to face with the genome. She reached out for him with a whimper, her eyes wet from unshed tears, “Oh Zidane, you don't know how much I love seeing you here...” She reached out and drew him down to kiss him softly. “I had the worst nightmare. I woke up, and you weren't there. Not  _here_ . I can't, oh Zidane, don't leave me...”

“Shhh, Dagger, I'm not going anywhere,” the young man replied, dropping down on one knee to look her in the eye, “I'm sorry I wasn't here for you. I'm sorry you went through all of this alone. I'm here as long as you need me, okay?”

The queen reached out and took his cheeks, her fingers trembling. Zidane replied with a chuckle, taking her hands in his. “Hey hey, come on, let's get you dressed and ready, and we'll go see Cid and Eiko and we're going to have a wonderful day, okay?”

Garnet nodded, her breathing evening out. She nodded quietly as Zidane stroked her fingers, and only then did she release him. The genome stood up as his lover sat in her bed, and she stared straight ahead, her brow furrowed in thought. Before all of that, the genome was about to go wandering the castle, but now he figured he should stay with her a little longer...

Zidane nearly jumped when he heard someone knock on Garnet's door, and before the genome could ask who it was, a woman opened the door, and in stepped Garnet, dressed in a warm petticoat and... “Wait, Dagger!?” Zidane whirled to look at Garnet in the bed just before turning to blink at the Garnet in the doorway.

“Morning, Beth...” Garnet said, her smile returning at Zidane's adorably amusing reaction, “Sorry, I'm a little behind in my schedule.”

“You were behind yesterday, too,” “Beth” said, crossing the room and brushing past Zidane to check if the queen had a fever, “Are you sure you're okay? You're not ill, are you?”

“Ooooooookay, who in the world is- Beth?” Zidane asked, gesturing to Garnet's clone, “She uh...”

“...Is my cousin, Elizabeth,” Garnet replied, smiling up at her lover, “She just looks very similar to me, as you can already tell. She's my lady-in-waiting, so I hope you two will get along well.”

“Your Majesty, we really must be preparing for the day. Lady Beatrix will be here any moment,” Elizabeth said, glancing dismissively at Zidane before turning back to her queen. “Please tell your boy-toy that he needs to leave.”

Garnet was about to reprimand her lady-in-waiting for calling him such a rude nickname, but Zidane chuckled and shrugged, “You two girls have your girl time. I'll go see if Eiko's wandering around, or I can harass Steiner a bit.” He waved a bit as Garnet nodded at him, and he was out the door. He stretched a bit, shook his tail out, and once again the castle was his oyster.

It took a moment for Zidane to decide what to do; he figured he should at least wait for Eiko's departure before he headed out to help Ilia. Not to mention there was Garnet's episode that morning. He knew that she missed him a lot, Steiner in particular wouldn't shut up about it, but it was the first time that he had seen her react so. Should he even leave the castle? He wondered a bit as he skipped down the stairs towards the barracks: if Garnet needed him here, then he wouldn't mind keeping her company for a bit. ...But on the other hand, what if she needed him around all the time? Would she be that clingy for years if he enabled it? ...Would it even be a problem to stay with her in this drafty, broken-down castle for the next six or seven decades?

...Ah, finally! The genome found Steiner, and he could stop worrying about the future and instead focus on the present: that was, pestering his best knightly pal. “Yo, Steiner!” he called, swaggering up to the captain before sliding next to him as easily as breathing. The man glanced at the genome, and Zidane coughed loudly. “Holy  _hell_ your face.” The somber scowl and dark rings under the captain's eyes proved that he didn't get  _an ounce_ of sleep last night. “Steiner, bud, you doing okay? What the hell happened last night, Beatrix not put out?”

Steiner pinched the bridge of his nose with an ugly, creaking clank of his armor. “Zidane, just leave me alone, I don't have the energy to deal with your 'jokes' today.” Now  _that_ scared the genome more than anything: Steiner didn't even have the energy to snap at him angrily. Something was definitely wrong.

“Yo, Steiner, you know that you can't keep this up, right?” Zidane put on his most serious face and slid in front of the “zombified” Pluto Knight. “This isn't healthy, you'll wear yourself down if you keep acting like this.” Jeez, he didn't think that his friends were _this_ broken ever since he left. You'd think they'd learn how to take care of themselves while he was gone, but this was why they couldn't have nice things.

Steiner let out a deep sigh and turned away, “I meant it, Zidane. I'm going to be working with the other knights today; I'm going to be busy, something  _you_ certainly wouldn't know about.” Zidane rolled his eyes as the captain turned away and moved to clank off, “I'm sure you'll be wanted with the regent and his family. The least you could do is  _pretend_ you're a part of the family.”

Zidane opened his mouth for a smart remark, but he stopped when he realized Steiner was asking him to be part of the “family”. ...A cocky smirk appeared on the side of his lips. Heh, the big lug  _was_ getting comfortable with the fact that he'd be here for a while. Zidane just hoped the rest of the castle, “Beth” included, would be as amiable in a month or two.

Nevertheless, he decided that he could give Steiner a wide berth as he turned and moved towards the guest wing. The genome had a sneaking suspicion that Garnet would round Steiner up later and help set his mind at ease. Hopefully then the captain would be less of a hardass. Either way, Zidane wanted to meet up with Eiko before the regent left for Lindblum, and he couldn't let Steiner's mood bring him down.

It wasn't hard for him to brighten up when he encountered the girl he was looking for; Eiko was a bundle of energy even in the early morning, probably because even Hilda couldn't bother being properly dressed at such an early time, and this was the only time the princess could be on her own without being watched over by someone. Thus she made sure to utilize her free time to its fullest extent the moment Zidane came into her view. “Zidane! Wanna play 'Hide and Seek'? Last night Mother wouldn't let us hide in the nooks and crannies of the castle, so it'll be perfect now!”

Hilda had expressly forbade it because she wasn't sure what venomous creatures might be living in those crevices, and Zidane shrugged, not entirely sure if the woman's fears were founded or not. “Why don't we have a wrestling match instead? Oh, or, we could go hunt down Mullenkedheim in the kitchen. First to get him to run screaming from the dining room wins.” It'd keep Eiko busy  _and_ help Quina from getting exasperated. Two birds with one stone.

Thankfully, the princess didn't notice the ploy, and her impish nature came to light when her smile turned sinister. “Ohhh, this time I'm going to beat you, Zidane!” she called as she rushed off, “ThreeTwoOneStart!”

Zidane chuckled and jogged unhurriedly after her, “Come on now, that's cheating,” he called lackadaisically.  
  
“All's fair in _love_ and war!” Eiko shouted back.

...Well, she had a point there...

\---

Incidentally, it was Eiko who won the “game”, leaping out of the rafters with a rope tied around her waist so she could bungie in front of the Pluto Knight with an unearthly scream. Quina found it especially delightful the way Mullenkedheim ran horrified from the room, but then shooed Eiko off of the rope, licked it, and charged up to the rafters to find the exceptional mushrooms that were growing up there. The moment they left was the moment that Garnet walked in (or was it Beth? Zidane was really creeped out now that he knew his girlfriend had a freaking clone wandering the castle) with Cid and Hilda conversing merrily with each other.

“Your hospitality has been absolutely superb, Queen Garnet,” Hilda said with an air of genteel enthusiasm, “I have had a great time with Eiko in town and here at the castle. Isn't that right, dear?” She turned to look at her daughter as the princess rammed, full force, into the queen. Garnet let out a chuckle as she rubbed the princess's back, and she looked up at Zidane as he approached as well.

“I hope everything has been well for you too, Eiko.”

The princess looked up at the queen and shrugged as she released her. “Well, it's really drafty and dusty around here, but Zidane has made things a lot more interesting.” She put her hands on her hips as Hilda began sweating lightly, “I mean, the coolest thing that happened was Tantalus's performance, and they're from Lindblum, so it was  _basically_ Father's idea.”

The entire room jumped (literally, as there was a miniature earthquake) when Quina leaped from the rafters and slammed into the tile. Everyone whirled to stare in bemusement at the Qu, who looked up and lifted the mushrooms they had collected. “For dinner!” They then dislodged themself from the hole they made in the floor and jogged off, their tongue wagging along the way.

...There was silence for a moment... and Eiko's neck disappeared as she shrugged very,  _very_ slowly, “Okay, maybe this visit  _has_ been pretty interesting.” Garnet might have laughed if she weren't choking on her own horror at the work that would have to be done on the floor. Yet  _another_ thing they would have to put off until they finished rebuilding the town.

\---

Breakfast was a much more mundane affair, but when it was finished, Cid was off to the airship hanger, which at this point was just the castle courtyard. Eiko was whining about having to go home already, but Zidane didn't seem to notice it so much as Garnet kept her pacified. The genome watched as Beatrix walked along behind the procession, noting the general's stony countenance that matched Steiner's, and Zidane couldn't help but feel that there was a lot more to fix around Alexandria than the masonry.

Having to say goodbye to his friend was a little hard, regardless of his promise to see her again. Eiko reached up for one last highfive from the genome, and he settled on his haunches to smile at her in the eyes. “See you around, okay Eiko? I promise I'll visit as soon as possible. Besides, you got your cousins to hang out with right?” Hilda wouldn't stop talking about them; maybe she was hoping they could become friends.

Eiko's scoff showed it probably wouldn't happen. “Gordon acts like a child and Scott's a know-it-all. I can't imagine them having much more stimulating conversation than with  _you_ Zidane.”

Well, the genome didn't doubt that, but if Eiko was going to calm down, she had to look forward to her return to Lindblum. “How about we gossip about them when I come to visit, like  _real_ nobles? If we do that though, you're going to have to learn all about them so you can tell me how terrible they are.”

Eiko was  _all about_ gossiping, however, and she nodded vigorously. “Oh man, I'm going to learn  _so much stuff_ about them, you don't even know!” The Lindblum princess gave Zidane one more hug and a proper (gasp) curtsy to Garnet before she took her father's hand and led him on the way to the Hilda Garde. The queen and her friend raised their hands to wave them off as the airship rose into the sky, and Eiko poked her head over the side of the banister and waved back at them with a shout that they couldn't hear over the ship's engine.

“I'm going to miss her,” Zidane said out loud, nodding his head to show that he agreed with whatever Eiko was shouting about.

Garnet let out a sigh and smirked at her lover, “If only we could have kept her.”

The genome laughed out loud at that, “I love her, but I do  _not_ envy Hilda being her mother.”

Zidane assumed that Garnet would laugh, or hell, even chuckle, but her face scrunched up in what looked like thought, instead. The genome blinked at her as she pursed her lips and turned away, but before he could ask what was wrong, (maybe it was something he said?) she snapped her fingers and turned to gesture for Beatrix, who was instantly at her side. Garnet then reached up and handed the general a paper while relaying her orders. “Collect Haagen and send Zidane out into the town. He has somewhere he wants to be.”

Beatrix's surprise was not lost on either of them as she read off the paper and quirked an eyebrow. “Haagen is a Pluto Knight,” she stated the obvious with general surprise, “Why not have Steiner do it?”

Garnet's eyes flit to Zidane's, and the genome smirked as the two read each others' thoughts, “I have another project I need Steiner to do; you can handle caring for a Pluto Knight, can't you, general-of-the-army?”

The holy knight let out a laugh for the first time that day, “Touche, your majesty.” She then turned and gestured for Zidane to follow her with a nod of her head. “Come along then, I've got work to do after this.”

Zidane didn't doubt that, and he jogged after her as she led the way towards the castle. He glanced back at Garnet, however, who smiled at him and waved him off before turning to collect and speak with Steiner.

Finally,  _finally_ , Zidane could say with certainty that things were looking up.

\---

Garnet walked serenely through the castle grounds, humming a bit as she moved. She barely made it three steps before she was collected by a couple of female guards, who noted she was alone and instantly set to the task of accompanying her until she found who she was looking for.

It wasn't long until she did just that. Adelbert Steiner was dragging Blutzen and Kohel through a practice run, she assumed, and shouting at them with just ferocity that it was easy to notice he was angry at something else. She winced slightly as she remembered her talk with Zidane. He really had been hurt, and now he was taking it out on everyone else around him. On the one hand, the captain should really learn how to keep from throwing a temper tantrum whenever things didn't go his way, but on the other hand, this was her fault this even happened, and she felt responsible.

The queen cleared her throat and caused the men to stop everything they were doing to face and salute her, and Garnet bowed her head before begging them to rise. “Steiner, I have something I wish to speak to you about.” She glanced at her “entourage” before turning back to the captain. “Alone, if you would.”

Blutzen and Kohel both let out a jeering “ooooohhh!” as their leader winced. “I uhm, I'm working on setting an example for these rule-breaking, lackadaisical rubberneckers, Your Majesty. I apologize when I say I am... busy.” He choked on his words, unused to denying his queen anything...

It didn't help that Garnet's face didn't relax into an understanding expression. She glanced at Blutzen and Kohel, her face as stone, and both of the Pluto Knights froze. The queen cleared her throat with authorial intent. “Jasmine, Marilyn, escort the Pluto Knights to their barracks and choose a new punishment for them. Be imaginative.”

The two women looked at each other with fiery, intense smiles, and when they looked to the men, the super sleuths let out unanimous cries and bolted from the room with their “entourages” in tow. Steiner pursed his lips as he watched everyone leave, and he looked at Garnet's gently softening face. She smiled at him and hugged her arms, “Sorry, I just needed them out of the room quickly. I talked with Zidane. ...He told me to speak to you.”

Steiner's entire demeanor changed. He seemed a lot less annoyed and more surprised, though the tension hadn't left his shoulders. “That nosy little piece of...!”

“... _And_ I realized I hadn't been fair with you from the beginning, Steiner. The fault is mine.” Queen Garnet stretched up to her full height, which was barely at his shoulder, and she looked at the Pluto Knight captain straight in the eye. “I have been keeping the truth from you, and it has been straining our relationship.” To say nothing of Steiner's relationship with Beatrix, Zidane, and Alexandria in general.

The captain snorted involuntarily. “My apologies, Your Majesty. I should not have let my frustrations get the best of me.” It didn't take a sage to figure out that he had been angry and hurt, and Garnet coming clean did very little to assuage his simmering rage. “I just... am very disappointed that you didn't trust me.”

Garnet bit her lip to keep from blurting that Beatrix was the one who asked her to keep the secret, but... “I didn't want to hurt you. I was afraid if I said anything, it would worry you. Zidane had to remind me that I already was in the wrong. Steiner, we have a problem.” The captain's expression hardened as he steeled himself for the news, and Garnet gulped down a wad of bile from her upset stomach. “Steiner, the Burmecians wish me to turn over Beatrix.”

Steiner stared at his queen, and she allowed him enough time to process this information. She had expected him to explode immediately, but apparently he was taking some time to decide if she was lying (honestly, you keep the truth from people  _once_ and suddenly they aren't able to trust you), until she saw that split second when he realized she would never lie about something that dire, especially about Beatrix. The queen's heart sank when she saw the captain's face blanch and turn ghastly white, which now “complimented” his darkened, sleep-deprived eyes. “Steiner, I'm sorry, this was why I didn't want to tell you-”

“H-have you... decided if you will...?” he croaked, his throat too tight to speak higher than a whisper.

Garnet gasped and shook her head. “Oh, heavens! No, not yet; Freya said that she would support me whichever way I leaned, but I can't in good conscious send Beatrix off to  _die_ ."

Steiner's whining, squeaky sigh showed that he had been trying very hard not to consider his lover  _dying_ , but the fact that the queen had voiced what neither of them wanted to think about nearly caused him to break down. Garnet dropped her head and twiddled her thumbs as the captain considered everything. He let out a breath that he had been holding for a few moments, and he clanked when he flopped forward like a puppet whose strings were cut. “Oh, oh, Crystal be praised,” he squeaked, “I-I was afraid you were avoiding talking to me because you didn't want me to know that you had decided to send her away.”

“Of course not!” Garnet said, raising her voice a little. She felt very passionate about her desire to keep her general out of harm's way. “I refuse to send her off, they will _kill_ her. But I can't just ignore their pleas as well; we don't know Beatrix's circumstances exactly during the war (we were in Treno at the time, after all), but I do not doubt that she did indeed kill enough of their people to warrant some sort of recompense. I just wish I knew how to explain to them that she was not... well, that there is still good in her...”

Steiner straightened up, and although he was breathing again, he now was beginning to hyperventilate, worried more about Beatrix's safety than the way he had been treated previously. “C-could we not hold a trial here, in Alexandria? Or in Treno? That way they will be more lenient...”

Garnet shook her head insistently, “No, that won't work. They'll say we're being biased.” She shrugged, “The very idea that we'd be keeping her in our borders would be proof. The problem is that  _their_ judges would be biased too. It would turn into a show trial.”

The queen looked up at the captain, who was cradling his chin in his gauntleted hand and mumbling to himself. He hardly moved when he was thinking, although Garnet supposed that it was more because his clanking would be annoying to think with. The queen began mumbling herself, but found it easier to rack her brain out loud. “If only we could find someone who was a neutral party...” Steiner stopped and looked up at his queen, and she closed her mouth to keep from gawking at him as their eyes met. “Did I say something?”

“Your Majesty, we _have_ a neutral party!” the captain proclaimed, “Lindblum! What if we send Beatrix to Lindblum? Surely, Regent Cid would be lenient! He would understand!”

Garnet's mood brightened considerably, and she smiled brightly at the thought. “Oh Steiner, we could, couldn't we? Lindblum has good relations with both Burmecia and Alexandria. No one will deny that request, I don't think...” She did, however, go quiet when a thought occurred to her. “But Uncle Cid isn't a judge... whomever they choose... there's still a chance they'll decide to...”

Steiner also went quiet, and the two of them hummed thoughtfully. “I'm sorry, I hadn't quite considered that fact.” After what the late queen had done to Lindblum, there would be plenty of people who were angry with Alexandria... but Steiner couldn't bear to bring that up to Garnet. It was hard for any of the Alexandians to remember Brahne as anything but a loving mother and kind monarch. Beatrix was the same, and... if the judges asked for her death, then... “...At least it would truly be a fair trial.” Garnet looked up, and she watched as Steiner steeled himself and took a deep breath. “At least it would be a fair trial.” He repeated, nodding resolutely.

The queen gulped audibly and... “I shall consider this. Oh, and Steiner? Thanks for talking me through this. I never would have considered asking Uncle Cid.”

“O-of course, Your Majesty, I only wish to help you, and Beatrix, in any way possible.” He went quiet, and... “Perhaps another time, though? I'm sure Blutzen and Kohel would prefer anything I can come up with as opposed to the other guards...”

His queen giggled and finally smiled since their talk became serious. “Sure; I've got some stuff of my own to work on. We'll talk later, okay?”

The captain nodded and set to the task of collecting his subordinates, leaving Garnet to wait for Jasmine and Marilyn's return. As she did, she took the time to think about how she was going to bring up everything to Beatrix and the regent. If Cid agreed to it, would he choose the judge? What kind of person would they be? Was there really no way to make everyone happy while also saving Beatrix?

By the time the guards arrived to reconvene with their queen, Garnet looked up and smiled at them. “Thank you for your help. Shall we be on our way?” The two women saluted her in response, and the three were off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a few things here. Mullenkedheim is one of them! He's Pluto Knight IX, which means that, as a knight based off of the main character of FF9, he obviously...  
> ...loves to eat food and doesn't listen to his leader, no matter how much the captain shouts or coerces!? That can't be right, but that would mean... *Dramatic Zoom* QUINA is the real Main Character of Final Fantasy 9!?
> 
> And to think, we thought it was some stupid monkey boy from a red planet! HAH, as if! Everyone knows that Quina is the main character! I mean, they even got married during the game! Main Characters are always getting married, that's like, video game 101! Scratch that off the list as a mystery solved! Quina, Hashtag best Main Character from the Final Fantasies! I can see it now!
> 
> (I am pretty sure this is a joke from the developers, and I love it, so it stays.)
> 
> Steiner refers to "It doesn't take a 'sage' to see..." which is a reference to Sages from FF3 and 4. They're a class that can use all Black and White Magic interchangeably, and as such, I assume are akin to rocket scientists and brain surgeons on Gaia. Hur.
> 
> And lastly, Eiko finally names her cousins. Now, who the heck are Scott and Gordon, anyway? I mean, it's not like googling "FF2 Gordon" or anything would get you- okay I already made this joke. They're princes from FF2. OG Hilda's a princess from FF2. That's why they are from Lindblum and are related to her. They will be referenced later. Maybe even in an Eiko-centric story I might want to write someday in like a decade!? *shrug!?*


	6. Isn't This a Happy Day?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrix fulfills her duties and returns to speak with her queen. The two get into a tit-for-tat as Zidane and Haagen run into some "trouble" with their delivery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry to Beatrix. I'm always worried about writing for NPCs, because they didn't tend to get a lot of time compared to PCs. Plus with someone as popular as Bea, everyone has their own headcanons for her and I *hate* stepping on them and making people go "But X character acts like Y attribute because I read Z line *this way how dare you not understand!!!*" So I tend to uhm, try not to use them a whole lot?
> 
> So that's a big reason why I have been hesitant to pick at her brain. However this time she finally has her chance to shine! Hope she's enjoyable!
> 
> Second, I have mentioned this before in a previous FF9 fanfic I wrote like a decade ago, but I always believed Qus are taste based creatures. Owls and eagles have huge eyes because they're sight based, cats have ears that swivel because they're hearing based, and Qus have huge tongues with most likely trillions of taste buds because they're taste based. Thus whenever they appear they tend to "smell and see" through their tastes. It's not that they're licking people, it's kinda like if you smell a flower, you get the pollen in the air into your nose that hits your receptors. Quina just tastes everything in the air, and can do it so well that they don't need to really see or smell, because the taste buds do it for them.
> 
> Also I assume Quina has lived in Alexandria and in the world long enough now that they're beginning to understand some delicate nuances of human society. Thus they have become *an artiste*, and I think we all have met at least *one* person like that.

Zidane and Beatrix were soon out in the Alexandrian town square; by the time they passed by the statues of the three mystic generals, Beatrix pulled out the order and snorted, “Cotton, was it?” She asked, glancing over at the genome as he nonchalantly glanced at a cute girl by the flower stand, “Apparently you're going to just give it out to random people?”

“Not 'random',” Zidane explained, “There's a lady I know who's a little too old to run around fixing things, and I figure everyone needs to do a little work to help Alexandria. I'm just helping people find work!”

Beatrix pursed her lips and handed the order off to the genome before motioning up ahead. “And there's Haagen. Soldier! Fall In!” She barked loudly enough that everyone in a wide perimeter turned to glance over, and the Pluto Knight, who was standing stock still by a fruit cart, whirled around and saluted. “Haagen, Pluto Knight VIII, reporting for duty, sir!” He jumped when he noticed who was calling for him, and he snapped back at attention, “Ma'am Sir Ma'am!”

“At ease, Number VIII,” Beatrix replied as the two approached the knight. He dropped his hand and glanced at Zidane as the general gestured to him, “This is Zidane; you'll be escorting him to...”

“...TO JAIL!!?” Haagen shouted, hand on his sword's hilt, “This is the same thief who attempted to kidnap Queen Garnet on her sixteenth birthday! As expected of you, General, to catch such a notorious enemy of the state!”

Zidane chuckled to himself as Beatrix crossed her arms and shook her head, sighing lightly, “No, Haagen, he's not an enemy of any state (I hope). Haven't you heard of Queen Garnet's friend Zidane? He's been wandering around the castle ever since Tantalus' play three days ago; you can't tell me you haven't at least heard of him?”

Haagen peered at the genome and eyed him up and down. “I guess so, but I'm watching you! If you make one false move, shifty thief-dude, then I'll bring down my full fury on you!”

Zidane smirked and shrugged a bit before holding up Garnet's order “You're going to help me collect some cotton, and we're going to deliver it to a little old lady who needs some work. You up for it?”

The Pluto Knight scoffed and puffed out his chest, “Helping little old ladies is what I do best! General Beatrix, you may count on me to have this order fulfilled posthaste!” He saluted the general, who nodded back before turning on her heel.

“I'll leave you to it. Now, I have somewhere I need to be. Be quick, will you?” She then stalked off back towards the castle, grumbling about being forced to do menial labor like a private. That just left Haagen and Zidane, who shrugged at each other as the townspeople went back to their daily lives (aside from the group of people who pined over the fact that _By the gods Lady Beatrix was_ right there _do you think she noticed me maybe I should send her a letter do you think she'd appreciate it ahhhhhhhh!!?_ ) The men turned and were soon off, and the genome tried to strike up some conversation as they did so; the Pluto Knight apparently didn't keep his thumb to the pulse of the people that frequented the castle, and the last thing he needed was to get jumped by this dude the next time they encountered each other.

“So uhm, name's Zidane, a friend of Dagger's. Uh, Garnet's. Sorry about the whole 'kidnapping' thing, Regent Cid just wanted her out of Alexandria, is all.” Man, that whole escapade seemed like forever ago; he sort of missed the days when they could spend the night in a humble Dalian inn. Maybe he could find a way to get her out of the castle for a romantic getaway some day.

“So it _was_ you!” Haagen proclaimed, poking an angry finger at the genome during his daydreaming, “I'd remember that smug look and stupid vest anywhere! I'll have you know that I was only going easy on you when we were fighting on that theater ship! You'd better not hurt Her Majesty, or my fury will never be sated!”

“Thanks for the warning, but Steiner's got all that covered. I assure you that he already made that threat seventeen.... _hundred..._ times.” Zidane slipped his hands into his pockets, and they went quiet for only a moment... until he spoke up again with a cheeky swish of his tail. “It's a weird 180 you just gave me, though; you don't care that Dagger and I are friends?” Nor that he apparently had a nickname for her?

“I trust Queen Garnet with my life! She is a wonderful monarch and a good judge of character!” Haagen explained with a tone of adoration and love for his country, “If she has decided to befriend you, then I trust her judgment!” Zidane nodded sagely and decided not to point out that just a moment ago he threatened to unleash his fury on the recipient of her “good judgment”. Oh well, when it came to Pluto Knights, some things never changed.

It was at that time that the two encountered little Ilia, who was skipping in the streets with a rock to make the cobblestones a little harder to hopscotch over. When Zidane called out to her, however, she looked up and let out a cry of joy. “Mister Tail!” she called, waving to him and jogging over to meet him, “Did you meet Queen Garnet? Did you  _kiss_ her!?”

Haagen glanced at Zidane as the genome dropped down to look her in the eye again. He needed to find some way to steer the conversation away from one that'd get Haagen 'unleashing his fury' or whatever, “Why don't we go and pick up that cotton for your grandmother? We can talk about the queen another time.”

Ilia watched as the genome produced Queen Garnet's order, and her eyes lit up at the thought of helping her grandmother. “Thanks so much, Mister Tail! I'm sure Gramma will appreciate it too!”

Zidane stood up and moved to speak to Haagen... but someone interrupted him instead. “...Is that a Pluto Knight!?” A young male voice called out. Everyone turned to appraise the man dressed in some dirty, raggedy clothes and a cap far too big for his head, who approached the three with trepidatious enthusiasm, “Oh my goodness, I haven't actually been able to talk to one of you when you're off duty before!”

“Still technically on duty, citizen!” Haagen proclaimed, puffing up when he realized that someone was asking specifically for him, “No autographs right now; if there's nothing else to say, then please move along!”

“Oh, hey Ryan,” Zidane said, stretching a bit as the young man squirmed with delight. This was the kid that the genome had seen wandering the streets, fixing up the city and praising the Pluto Knights in all of their... unique glory. “Still hoping to land a spot in the Pluto Knights, huh?”

“Hoping!?” Ryan practically shouted, a little hurt, “I've been training every moment I'm not rebuilding, well, buildings! Next time Captain Steiner holds a tourney to see who has the mettle, I'm _definitely_ getting in!” He turned back to Haagen with a twinkle in his eye, “Please look forward to working with me! Oh Oh Oh, _Idea_! What if I help you guys out with whatever you're doing? Surely you must need me to do some sort of menial labor! If I do it, will you put in a good word for me with the captain? Please please _please_?”

Even Haagen was having a little difficulty deciding what to do with the excitable Alexandrian, and both he and Zidane blinked at each other. It was the genome who shrugged first. “I mean, it can't hurt, right? And I'm friends with Steiner anyway; it wouldn't be hard to at least name drop you.”

“Ahhhhh Crystal be praised! I'm going to be a _Pluto Knight_! I can hardly believe it!” Ryan practically sang, charging forward to slam Zidane on the shoulder and pump his fist, “Finally, things are looking up for Ryan!” The four stood stock still, blinking for a good moment, until Ryan smiled obliviously at Zidane, “So uhm, where are we even going, anyway?”

Zidane smirked at Haagen as “Number VIII” shrugged; yep, Ryan would definitely fit right in with the others, no doubt about it.

\---

General Beatrix returned to the castle with a stately walk, her expression like steel as she walked through the courtyard and approached her subordinates. “Ahh, Laura, I assume your route is secure?”

“As secure as it'll ever be, General!” Laura saluted, placing her hands behind her back, “Queen Garnet is in the library. She just finished speaking to Captain Steiner, because let's be honest, it's never a 'conversation' when a Pluto Knight's involved, am I right?” She let out a guffaw for an entire minute, right up until she realized that Beatrix wasn't laughing. The soldier coughed into her hand and looked askance. “Right, so uhm. I'll... keep my patrol up.”

“You do that,” the general intoned flatly, waving Laura off as she headed into the castle. It looked like things were running smoothly, so she decided to see if her queen needed anything before preparing for tomorrow. As her heels clacked on the broken tile of the castle, her mind began to wander towards the new goings-on in Alexandria the past few days. Zidane was helping Queen Garnet in his own way, but everything was quickly becoming topsy-turvy. She wondered if the castle would return to running smoothly when she was gone, and she winced when she felt her heart squeeze in her chest.

She couldn't be sure if she wished Steiner would miss her when she was gone...

Her boots clacked on the steps to the library, alerting Queen Garnet to her presence, and the queen looked up from the book she was pouring over. “Oh, Beatrix. I'm glad you made it. I wanted to talk to you.”

“I'm always available for you, Your Majesty,” Beatrix replied, bowing low as Garnet rose from her seat, “How may I serve you?”

Garnet leaned on the desk, thinking of how she would bring up ignoring Beatrix's plea, and finally she took a deep breath and pushed off of the desk, nodding at the general, “I spoke to Steiner. His 'project' wasn't an actual task, per se.” Beatrix's face went from neutral to apathetic as she began to assume what the “project” actually was, and she couldn't keep from sighing when Garnet proved her right, “I told him about the letter from Burmecia. He deserves to know.”

Of _course_ Garnet couldn't keep herself from worrying for Steiner's sake. The Pluto Knight Captain seemed to make it his duty to do whatever he could to ignore Beatrix's words when it came to training his subordinates, and now even the queen, whom the general had begun to trust as a beacon of impartiality in this tempest of emotional destruction, was beginning to ignore her orders and act as if she were little more than a child still enchained by the thrall of romance. “ Whether he does or doesn't shouldn't matter,” Beatrix said, her tone as sharp as Save the Queen and just as quick. Garnet actually flinched; she was used to Steiner simpering under her rule, but Beatrix did not care about telling the queen when she had done something wrong, “He doesn't _need_ to know. Not when I'm here. He'll dote on me as if I were a child.”

Garnet shook her head and pleaded with her general, hoping to appeal to a gentler nature. “He only wants to help you, Beatrix. I've seen the passion he shows for people he cares about.”

“Then you should know the lengths he goes to 'protect' people. I am not a girl to be coddled, and you of all people know this. He shouldn't. I...” Beatrix opened her mouth, and for the first time, something caught in her throat, and she felt her choke on her words. “I...cannot bear to see him worry for me. I-I do not deserve such adoration.”

Garnet searched the general's eye, a film of tears welling in the queen's own, “Oh, Beatrix. Of course you do. You-you deserve...”

“Nothing!” the general bit back with a hiss, “Your Majesty, I left the decision up to you because I trusted you to make the right one, but I'm beginning to see that you're no better than Steiner at keeping your emotions in check.” Garnet's eyes were now wet with her tears, and Beatrix tried desperately not to give her any leeway. And yet, she couldn't stop the doubt from creeping up, and she reminded her queen of her main duties, “You would put the safety of one person above those of your entire kingdom; Queen Brahne would never have done such a terrible thing.”

“My mother sent the entire world to war and nearly helped Kuja destroy it!” Garnet shouted, slamming her fist onto the desk. Beatrix halted immediately, surprised and vaguely impressed that her queen stood up to her like that. “I am not my mother, and I refuse to make the same mistakes she did! But you, _General Beatrix_ , must learn to trust that I, _Queen_ Garnet til Alexandros XVII, will do what I can to protect _everyone_ in my country, and I _refuse_ to hurt my best friends by sending one of them off to _die_.” She turned away from Beatrix to keep from shouting any further, and she did something much more constructive with her rage. Beatrix watched as she immediately began cleaning the desk, closing the books and stacking them in order, and the two stood in relative silence, Garnet's bold determination practically radiating from her as she spoke up once more. “I know what you want, Beatrix. You pray for justice. As do I, every moment.”

“Then why do you keep me here?” Beatrix asked, her eye flitting to glance in Garnet's direction for a moment before finding her father's globe much more “interesting” to look at, “I have done nothing to help this world. I did nothing to stop Queen Brahne; I _deserve_ this.”

“You _deserve_ a fair trial, and I doubt the Burmecians will give you one.” Beatrix opened her mouth to ask how in the _world_ they would find someone who _would_ , but Garnet cut her off when she turned to her with a sudden smirk, “Which was why, when I spoke to Steiner, he realized that Lindblum would be the one to give it to you.”

The General stopped, her mouth stuck agape, and Garnet's expression turned smug when Beatrix pursed her lips and considered this fact. “...You say Steiner was the one who brought this up?”

“I know! I was just as surprised as you!” The queen's smile turned cat-like as she recalled that moment, “He must _really_ be worried about you if he's actually coming up with such good ideas.”

A smirk twitched on Beatrix's features, and she immediately felt guilty for feeling better, even for a second. “Come now, Your Majesty, I just visually berated Laura for saying such rude things about the 'good' captain.” She placed a hand on her hip and watched as Garnet pulled out a kerchief and wiped her tears away. “...Perhaps I underestimated the both of you, however. I highly doubt the Lindblumians will be much more lenient, but...”

“...I trust Uncle Cid to help us in any way possible. Our world of Gaia is a history of Mist-Feuds; not one of our kingdoms is innocent of bloodshed. We'll find a way to end this hatred. Steiner and I saved the world; we'll find a way to save you, too.”

Garnet snorted, crossing her arms with an air of finality, and the two glared at each other. Beatrix felt her queen's desire to protect and assist, and her will was so strong that it allowed Beatrix to finally,  _finally_ , relax and slump forward, looking as vulnerable as she now felt. “I-I don't deserve this.” She managed to whisper. “Your drive, your desire to protect. It should not be wasted on me.”

The Alexandrian queen suddenly smiled, uncrossing her arms and nodding gently. “If you truly believed that, Beatrix, you wouldn't be here.” The general looked down at Garnet, and the queen's eyes caused Beatrix to gasp, for they reminded her of that night...

_I-I never wish to lose you again!!!_

...And the general's shoulders heaved as she chuckled. “...Ah. Perhaps you're right. Perhaps...” After all this time, all she wanted was for someone to  _help_. She took a deep breath, straightened up, and shook out her hair. In a moment, she was back to her steely expression and sharp posture. “You're right, we did need this talk; it has opened my eyes. I-I will consider your stance. However, I will be very busy now. There are so many things that must be finished before... before Lindblum,  _apparently_ . Your Majesty, I regret that I must take my leave of you at this moment.”

“Of course, Beatrix,” Garnet said, smiling up into her general's eye, “Please, continue to trust me; I won't let anything happen to you as long as I can help it.”

Beatrix bowed before she shook her head good-naturedly at her queen. “I will never understand your generosity, Your Majesty, but, as ever, it is always appreciated.” And with that, she turned on her heel and clacked from the room. Thinking back on all the things that had gone on, Beatrix's mind was a whirlwind of emotion, and somewhere, deep in the eye of the squall of her heart, there were those who loved her.

Perhaps she  _did_ wish for Steiner to miss her while she was away.

\---

The three men and small girl were already on their way back to Alexandria, with a chocobo-drawn cart in tow. Apparently the usual driver was late or ill, and when the four arrived at the airship dock outside of town, the frantic keeper waved them down and begged them to bring everything back to town before the food spoiled. Luckily, Ryan was a farmer's son, and had no trouble hitching up the chocobo, and soon the four were off on the road back into the city.

Ilia ran alongside the wheels of the carriage, singing the “chocobo song”, as she called it (It mostly consisted of many offkey “kwehs”), Haagen sat next to Ryan and took a nap, and Zidane made sure that Ilia didn't bother the chocobo, as the birds tended to be pretty finicky and didn't even think twice about snapping off the hand of a person that bugged them. There were reasons monsters didn't even bother attacking them out in the fields, with very few exceptions. “We're being heroes today!” the child proclaimed as they walked along the road.

“I'm basically a Pluto Knight already!” Ryan agreed, eliciting a chuckle from Zidane.

“Glad everyone's in such high spirits.” The castle wasn't nearly as cheerful as this group; the genome was happy to know that there were still people who knew how to have a good time. “Once we finish this up, I promise I'll talk to Steiner at some point, and you can show him your sword techniques.”

“Sword techniques!! _That's_ what I was forgetting to practice!” Ryan shouted just as the carriage hit a rock, jolting Haagen awake.

“Don't worry, Captain! I'll save you!” the Pluto Knight cried a split second before his dream dissipated and he realized where he was. Ryan's cap slid over his eyes, and he pushed his hat up as everyone blinked at Haagen, and the Pluto Knight stretched and immediately changed the subject. “We almost there? This chocobo's so slow...!”

The bird let out an indignant “kweh!” as she walked along, and Ryan pulled his hat back up to look at the upcoming gate. “Almost there! And look, there's a few people waiting for us!”

Haagen peered into the distance as Zidane watched Ilia rush forward, “You sure that's a bunch of people, it looks more like one  _big_ perso-” The Pluto Knight blanched when he noticed how white the creature was. As it waddle-charged towards them, Haagen let out a howl and leaped from the carriage. “Crapbaskets, it's Quina!” Not even the most furious Pluto Knight was stupid enough to mess with a hungry Qu!

Quina's war cry caused even Ilia to pause, but they rushed past her without even an acknowledging glance, and it was Zidane who had the guts to put himself between the food and the Qu. “Yo, Quina! Calm yourself, what's the problem?”

“Problem!? Food never came!” The Qu shouted, wagging their tongue all around Zidane and tasting the trace amounts of dust, sweat, and _Nolrich Coffee Beans (keep it together Quina!)_ off of the Genome's person, “No devil peppers for curry! How to feed entire castle with table scraps!?”

“You ran all the way out here because you didn't have any devil peppers?” Ryan asked, pulling the chocobo to a stop as the carriage arrived next to the two, “That doesn't sound like table scraps. Can't you just substitute with something else?”

Ilia had just arrived at that moment, and Zidane reached out to pull her away as Quina jumped up next to Ryan (eliciting a squeal from both the driver and the chocobo), and the Qu immediately tasted the salt and fear that radiated from the young man's sweat as they bore down on him with a dead stare. “Substitute! Why not build house with paper? Why not paint with  _feces_ !?” The Qu didn't bother listening to Ryan's rebuttal, if there was one, and instantly proceeded to pick up a barrel of devil peppers, cabbages, and coffee beans each before jumping off of the carriage and lumbering off, grumbling all the way.

Ilia clung to Zidane with a whimper as Ryan fought to restart his heart. It was Haagen who first spoke, poking his head up from behind the carriage with a cough. “Are they gone?” he asked. When Ryan nodded with a high-pitched squeal that sounded like air being let out of a balloon, the Pluto Knight pulled himself back up onto the ride, suddenly unruffled. “See, I learned a long time ago not to mess with that guy.”

“There's a reason Quina was traveling with us at the end of it all,” Zidane muttered, helping Ilia down on the ground. “They're fiercer than most, as you can see.”

“D-duly noted...!” Ryan muttered, snapping the reins and thanking the Crystal that the chocobo wasn't too petrified to move.

The cart wasn't accosted any further as they arrived in the city, and a friendly fishman picked up the entire thing with a clipboard to sign off on everything. He then saluted the four as they picked up the cotton they required, and Ilia led the way to her grandmother's home with an attempt at a whistle. The walk was uneventful and mostly quiet, and when Ilia knocked on the door and opened it, she called out to her grandmother happily, “Gramma! I'm here!”

“Ilia, is that you...?” the elderly woman asked as she sat idly in a chair at the table in the middle of the tiny, one room house. She continued to stare at the wall, away from the group, and she reached her bony hand out for her granddaughter. Ilia hopped forward and took her grandmother's hand, and the woman turned her milky-white eyes at the girl's forehead. “I hear someone else. Is Granpa here?”

“Sorry, ma'am,” Zidane called, completely forgetting that he should have probably announced himself before wandering into a blind woman's house, “We're here for a delivery, nothing too important.” It was then that Haagen and Ryan placed their small barrels on the floor with a soft “thump”, and Zidane tried not to tense when the woman's head turned ever so slightly, staring off at the doorway.

“What delivery do you have? That sounds like too much for just food.”

“Gramma, Mister Tail came to help!” Ilia explained, petting the woman's hand with a giddy bounce, “He's going to give you cotton! You can spin it for people and help out! Gramma, Gramma, you can _help_!”

“Ilia, what did you do?” the girl's grandmother chastised, turning back to her with a confused frown, “You aren't being a bother, are you? Your parents entrusted your care to me while they're working...”

“Nah, don't worry ma'am, Queen Garnet and I wanted to help out.” Zidane placed his own barrel on the floor and walked forward, standing near Ilia and dropping down with his legs crossed. He looked up at the woman and swept his tail along the floor, trying to sound as nonthreatening as possible. “I heard that you're having trouble finding work, and no one wants to feel like they can't help out. I figure you wouldn't mind spinning some cotton, you think? I have some gil; you can have it now and I'll send someone to pick up the spun cotton tomorrow. Sound like a plan?”

The woman's confused expression didn't change. “I-I-I don't think... There's no reason for you to be doing this for me... for us. Why would you even think to do so?”

Zidane stood up and pulled the pouch of several hundred gil from his belt before tenderly taking the woman's hand (Ilia released her and hopped back with a giggle) and placing it into her palm, “Because this is our home of Alexandria, and I don't want anyone to feel left out. Please, take your time, and if you have any other questions, just talk to my friend tomorrow. Sound okay?”

Ilia bounced with joy as her grandmother slowly, shakily, drew the pouch to her lap, and she stared at the wall as she opened the pouch and mouthed the numbers she counted for a few moments. She then looked across at Zidane's chest, her eyes watering with surprise and thankfulness, “It's more than I could ask for, sir. Her Majesty is far too kind. I...I don't know what to say.”

“You don't have to say anything, ma'am!” Haagen announced suddenly, saluting the women even though she could not see him do so, “A Pluto Knight always does what is right for the country he loves!”

“And Pluto Knights-in-training!” Ryan proclaimed. ...He then coughed and whispered to Haagen: “...Or is that too presumptuous right now?”

“I cannot thank you enough,” the old woman croaked, her emotions finally getting the best of her as she began to weep, “I will do whatever I can for Alexandria, and if spinning is what you need me to do, then I shall happily spin as long as these old bones will let me.”

“Gramma, Gramma, don't cry!” Ilia said, reaching out to pet her grandmother's arm, “Isn't this a happy day?”

“Oh, oh yes, dear, I'm very happy.” After placing the pouch on the table, the woman reached out and wrapped her arms around her beloved granddaughter before drawing her close, “I'm as happy as can be...!”

The two held each other close, and neither noticed nor heard the genome slip from the house and close the door behind him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright bros, Pluto Knight Time!!
> 
> Haagen is Pluto Knight VIII, which would mean he's Squall, right? Then why is he so lazy and suddenly righteous fury? That doesn't seem like Squall at all! Okay, so here we go. Bear with me.
> 
> What if the real protagonist, the mover and shaker of FF8, was *Laguna*? Think about it! Laguna was the type of person who wouldn't mind getting drunk at a bar and cramping up instead of making out with women, and then instead of going back home after getting healed up he just kinda derped around and got high in some backwoods town no one cared to put on a map.
> 
> But HOOOOBOY you kidnap a little girl then YOU BETTER BE PREPARED for some RIGHTEOUS FURY to descend upon YOUR ENTIRE COUNTRY whoops I just got elected president. Might as well just kick back here. Son? Wife? Who's that? Too busy getting high!
> 
> Haagen was never Squall. He was Laguna all along.
> 
> Second! Who the heck is Ryan? Well, *Bear With Me* x2! Ryan is some random NPC that Vivi can meet in Disk 3 who's like "No one likes Pluto Knights but I think they're pretty swell!" And then later after Alexandria's destruction you can see him wandering around town with planks of wood to rebuild, and he's like "Man after I help rebuild all of Alexandria I can't wait until *I'M* a Pluto Knight!" So let's call this guy a tentative knight in training. Consider this for a moment. Who is a main character of Final Fantasy who is excitable and always ready to help people, and isn't a main character of Final Fantasy *as of FF9*?
> 
> Ryan is *Proto Tidus*, you guys. Mind. Blown.
> 
> (Interesting note is that if all of the Pluto Knights are Main FF Chars, then that kinda means that FF9 was Dissidia before Dissidia was, well, Dissidia!)
> 
> Lastly, I wanted to get this out in the open because I feel not many people consider this or even notice it. The way the women treat Steiner seems like a one off thing, because Pluto Knights are so lame and blahblah, but consider this:  
> 1) All of the statues in Alexandria are of military women.  
> 2) Brahne is a Queen and her husband was *not* the acting sovereign.  
> 3) Steiner berates Mullenkedheim and laments that it's because of slackers like him that "no one relies on men in Alexandria."  
> 4) Of an entire army, only *nine* of them are men, the "token" dude squad of the entire female army.
> 
> It's not really explicit but I'm nearly 100% sure that Alexandria is a matriarchy, and it's pretty obvious that the way women keep laughing at all the men is a pretty big reason Steiner's so gung-ho about everything. He has to work doubly hard to be seen as anything but incompetent, and even then if he *does* beat a female general, it was just a "fluke". No wonder dude's got some issues come FF9's beginning. It must be even more aggravating that a bunch of jerkwad *male* thieves come around kidnapping princesses and making all men look worse by comparison! Alternatively, no wonder the Pluto Knights don't want to do anything because why bother? No one's going to actually believe they did anything cool on their *own*.
> 
> So uh that's my giant rant to say why I feel Steiner acts the way he does through a lot of the game as well as this story, and why this power struggle might kind of be a big thing foreshadowing stuff that might come up later maybe!?
> 
> That was a lot of words and I'm so sorry you spent the time to read them. Have a good day!


	7. Midnight Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night falls, everyone goes to sleep.
> 
> (Whoops I might have meme'd.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I might have written this short interlude back last weekend in order to tide you guys over while a *FF6 Themed FF14 Patch Comes Out* and I disappeared into the aether farming materials by beating the crap out of a clown for three hours straight, but then there was fluff and I tend to think it's bad, so it took me this long to fix it enough that it's not so bad. So hopefully you'll like it.
> 
> In other news FF14's new patch and Dissidia Opera Omnia both launched and I will disappear for a bit. If you guys want some more of my stuff then check out The Darkness Within, I swear it's good please read it I am begging you guys. In fact, I hate linking stuff but you leave me no choice:
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/6599455/chapters/15097696
> 
> Now you can't say you wouldn't have found it otherwise! :V

The day was finished, and guards were relieving each other of their posts. Zidane had a pretty exciting day, all told, but he was happy to be back with Garnet, who seemed just as happy to be with him. The queen practically jogged over to the young genome, and she wrapped her arms around him in adoration. “Did you have a good day?” she asked, ignoring the smell of chocobo on his vest (It wasn't like she hated chocobos, they just tended to have a very overpowering scent, and she would be happy to have him take a bath the moment she could get him to). Zidane didn't notice her minor aversion to his “new” musk, and he leaned over to nuzzle her temple affectionately.

“The people of Alexandria are so happy, Dagger. You make their day just by being alive and helping them live out their days. I'm so proud to know you.” Not everyone in the castle shared that same happy drive, but that just meant he only had one thing to work on instead of many.

“You're helping too,” Garnet replied, pulling back to look him in the eye with all the love she could possess, “You haven't even been here a week and you're already finding things you can do in town. I can't possibly thank you enough for all of the help you've given Alexandria. This isn't even the land you grew up in, and yet here you are...”

Zidane chuckled and helped draw a few strands of hair behind her ear, “Lindblum's got Cid and Eiko, and my bros in Tantalus can handle whatever life throws at them. _You_ need help, however, and I'm ready to give all the help I can.” His smile turned impish and he leaned down to whisper, “Although I can think of a few ways you can 'thank me' for my help...”

Garnet turned a bright red and slapped his arm in an attempt to stop her smile, “Stop it, you! In front of everyone, too!”

“It's not like we couldn't guess what sort of person he was anyway,” the two heard Elizabeth say as she approached from the side. The queen nearly laughed as Zidane's face blanched ever so slightly, and her lady-in-waiting gave him a half-banked glare. “Yes, you _were_ flirting with Her Majesty and not with her 'clone'.”

The genome's relief was palpable, and Garnet couldn't contain her laughter. “You can't tell the way her hair curls at the edges? I feel it should be obvious to anyone who's actually looking.” To be fair, however, it wasn't like Zidane actually  _looked_ at the cute girls he was flirting with.

...Garnet did her best not to feel a pang of jealousy, knowing that he was probably oogling the city girls outside of the palace. She knew he wouldn't act upon it; he wouldn't be here if he was just going to leave and find someone else, but it still hurt, knowing deep down who he would always be. Elizabeth glanced her queen's way, noting flash of hurt in her sovereign's eyes, and cleared her throat. All eyes were on her as she bowed to the queen. “Your Majesty, will you be turning in for the evening? Please be careful of any bed bugs.” She glanced at Zidane with a stare as icy as Beatrix's, “You know how good ticks are at leeching.”

“Beth!” Queen Garnet hissed lowly, hoping no one else heard that, “That was uncalled for! What has gotten into you!?”

Garnet's lady-in-waiting immediately changed her tune, knowing that she had overstepped a boundary. “Your Majesty, forgive my indiscretion,” Elizabeth replied with another bow, “Surely you of all people know how to take care of yourself.” She straightened up, although her eyes never left the genome's face before she turned fully around and moved to her chambers.

Garnet shook her head, her red face looking much more embarrassed than scandalized as she turned to Zidane with an apology. “I have never seen her act that way. She doesn't even respond to the Pluto Knights when they flirt with her. I feel horrible that she treated you so terribly...”

Zidane shook his head and kissed her forehead, “Eh, it's no worse than the crap Steiner tossed my way when we were traveling. Besides, you know I don't care about that; if anything it just makes me want to prove them wrong.”

Garnet nodded, lowering her hands so she wasn't twiddling her thumbs in embarrassment, and she took his hand with a smile. “Hehehe, Steiner  _was_ pretty insufferable on a part of our journey. I remember it quite well.” Almost like it was yesterday, especially now, when he still smelled of chocobo and grime...

The memory of their adventure together caused something to awaken in her, and she felt, for the first time in a while, like an adventurer again. She regained a mischievous smile as Zidane reached out to kiss her again, and with a giggle, she pulled away from him. “Oh no...! I think you're going to have to work for it this time...!” she insisted, hitching her dress and jogging off.

Zidane sat stunned for a half second before his instincts kicked in, and his tail went into overdrive as he pounced after her. “I didn't know you were into being chased...!” he called after her as she skipped up the stairs towards her room. Garnet rushed past her guards (Kathy tried to ask what was going on and nearly got an elbow to the face), and she slammed into the door to her room with a giddy laugh. Unfortunately, she was so busy laughing that she only managed to get the door open just in time for Zidane to grab her from behind and lift her clear into the air. “Got you, you minx!”

Garnet screamed in delight and kicked her legs, her feet slapping against the still open door, and Kathy turned to Tiana. Both of the guards watched with gaping mouths as Zidane turned around and pushed the door open fully with his back. “Excuse me, ladies.”

“Zidane Tribal you put me down this instant!” Garnet demanded with a delighted laugh.

“You told me I had to work for this and _by the Crystal I worked for this_!” Zidane announced, and the women watched as Garnet kicked the door closed with her foot. The two guards stared at each other, completely flabberghasted...

“...Let's uhm... let's not speak of this to anyone...” Kathy muttered.

“Are you _kidding_?” Tiana proclaimed, “Come tomorrow morning _everyone_ is going to know about this!” Queen Garnet, getting “abducted” by a sneaky thief _once again_! If that wasn't the most hilarious news all month, Tiana didn't know what was!

\---

Beatrix sat at the foot of her bed in her room, staring at the mirror on her vanity in nothing but her underwear and eye-patch. She hadn't moved for a good thirty minutes after removing her chemise and pants, and instead was stuck in intense thought. Were Bert and Her Majesty correct? Was there something inside her worth saving? It was a dilemma that she was having trouble coming to a conclusion for. She was conflicted in the worst way possible: she wanted to believe that this was the best way to atone for everything she had done, and yet some primal part of her still feared to face what she thought she deserved... When it came down to it, she really was the most cowardly person she knew. Too cowardly to stand up to Queen Brahne, and too cowardly to face the consequences of her actions...

It was a long while before the door opened and her lover peeked into the room. When Steiner wasn't wearing his armor and didn't have any reason to be shouting, she found he could be very quiet when he wished to be. ...It was with a little regret that she assumed he was quiet around her because he was cowed by her rather intense attitude, but she couldn't find the words to apologize; she still wasn't sure if she was going to survive the next month. She assumed it would be better if he found reason to dislike her so he wouldn't miss her when, if, when? ... _If_ she didn't make it back to Alexandria when she was sent off to Lindblum.

Steiner had moved inside the room while she was thinking, although when she didn't immediately respond, he paused his advance. She could see him in the reflection of the mirror, and it took her a moment before she looked up and met his eyes. She eventually moved over a little bit and pet the spot next to her, silently allowing him to join her. Steiner didn't say a word as he walked over and flopped next to her on the bed. Beatrix felt selfish for desiring his touch when she was so intent on pushing him away yesterday, but she didn't quite care at that point, so lonely was she that night, and she slipped her arm around his and flopped her head on his shoulder. “I like your shoulder,” she said suddenly, quietly, “It's so broad and comforting. Not bony at all.” She could fall asleep on it if she wanted to... if he wasn't wearing any armor.

Steiner reached his entwined arm up and took her calloused hand in his, and the two turned to watch their hands meld together and hold each other desperately. As the general watched him rub his fingers along hers, she heard him suck in a breath, considering his words before opening his mouth. “I... I'm sorry I was cross with you yesterday. I should have realized you would only keep things from me if it was very important.”

There was a hint of a lie in his voice, Beatrix could tell, but she assumed it was because he wanted to make up with her after their spat last night, and he wasn't as angry at her as he was missing her touch. ...Just like she already missed his; even through the callouses on both of their hands, the way he rubbed her fingers with his sent a jolt through her entire system.

The feeling was so enjoyable that she fought to drag him closer. She wished to be closer to him, so much so that she decided to help mend the fence as well, “...I was the one who asked Queen Garnet to keep it from you. I was... I was hoping that you would dislike me enough to not miss me when I was sent away to Burmecia, and yet now I have hurt both you and Her Majesty more than if I had just been straight with you.” She sighed deeply, leaning on him for support as her head drooped in sadness. “I lost my temper with Queen Garnet as well. I thought that neither you nor she were listening to me, but it was I who refused to listen to either of you. I-I'm so sorry, Bert, I was just hoping to spare you...”

Steiner reached up with his free hand to place it on her arm, and she naturally turned towards him a little so that he could place a soft kiss on her temple. “Oh Beatrix, you must know that there is nothing in the world that can keep me away from your side. I would never dislike you just because of one small spat. I...I could not bear to be away from you.” He shrugged helplessly as a thought occurred to him, “Besides, I highly doubt you would have hated me if I suddenly acted cold towards _you._ ”

Beatrix paused, and suddenly she chuckled, both at her realization and his silly expression. “You brushed me off yesterday by the moat, that's true...” and of course she wouldn't dislike him for just one mistake... and neither would he hate her just because she childishly pushed him away. They had been together for all of this time, and yet he still found ways to surprise her, discovering such a simple solution for such a complicated problem. “I apologize, Bert. I was acting like a fool, and I should have considered every point instead of hiding behind my own fear. I just wanted...”

He kissed her temple once again, and Beatrix's voice caught in her throat. She tried hard not to shiver from the beautiful familiarity of his touch, “I know, Bea,” the captain admitted, “I am unsure if I would do the same thing in your position, but I know I would try to spare you any hardship. I-I...” He trembled, his voice suddenly small. He seemed embarrassed and choked on his next words before he worked around his embarrassment, “...I care very much for you, Bea. I'd do whatever I could to help you...”

The general felt her heart flutter despite herself, and she chided herself mentally for acting like a twitterpated teen, “I care for you too, Bert. Very much so. And it's appreciated how much you wish to help. Next time, I swear I shall be much more receptive to both you and Her Majesty's attempts to assist me. The two of you, more than anyone, have taught me the value of relying on others.” She turned to him slowly and smiled, reaching up to take off his skullcap and ruffle what little hair he had left on his balding head, “Thank you, Bert. I never realized until now how much I rely on you, in actuality.”

Steiner searched her eye, and they held each other close for a moment, so close she could feel his beating heart thudding heavily. It took a moment before she realized her own heart was beating just as quickly, and she assumed her face was just as red as his was growing. “Bert, please,” she murmured, their faces so close she could feel his hot breath on her lips...

She leaned in, but she stopped when the captain, completely caught up in the moment, blurted something straight out without any warning. “I love you, Bea,” he whispered as if praying. Both of the knights halted for a good moment, as even Steiner was surprised by his quiet outburst. The two stared at each other, both too befuddled to act first...

Beatrix could feel her heart thud in her ears... and her brows knit in irritation. “Damn you, Bert, don't just tell me...!” she insisted, whipping herself around and landing in the terrified Steiner's lap, straddling him with obvious intent as she grasped the collar of his shirt. “ _Show me, you oaf_!”

When the two had first began dating, their couplings were rote and purposeful, like a pair of guards going through the motions of memorized sparring. That night, however, was the first time that their “sparring” was wild, desperate, and needy. For that moment, they needed each other more than they could say, and instead they let their actions speak for them.

They didn't know what the future might bring to them, but they knew that from then on, they would face it together as long as they possibly could.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay lemme try and remember what I was going to say here. Oh Right! First up, Kathy and Tiana! I figure if we're going to use the Pluto Knights we should look at some people in Beatrix's Squad as well! So Kathy is the more demure one; she was the one who was brushed aside by an angry Steiner and balked under his rage. I figure she's a little skittish, whereas Tiana was one of the ones who was "Doomed" during Beatrix's investigation. That means she's probably a risk-taker and a little more wild. And there you have it!
> 
> I guess the next part is that that I dunno, Garnet seemed to have a fun time running through the castle when there was a guy who apparently stole her guards' armor and chased her around at the beginning of the game; maybe she's just into that sort of thing? So I dunno, I just wanted to use something that was a little different from the way most people view her.
> 
> The big part of this interlude, of course, is Bea and Bert. This was the part I was worried about, because I always have a hard time walking the line between "fluff" and "ugh sap". Hopefully it seems more realistic and less groan-worthy.
> 
> One small thing is that, I dunno, but Final Fantasy has this *weird* aversion to people actively saying "I love you". The only one that honestly used it was FF10 and *surprise* that was actually the English Localizer's decision; Yuna never says she loves Tidus in Japanese (The More You Know!) Like, I kinda get it? Japan is a little more insular and they don't talk about their feelings as much, not like that at least, and their actions let them speak instead. Most of the time you see the "I love you" translation, it's more often than not the same "love" you'd use with "I love chicken". That deep love is just... not spoken.
> 
> But like, I love everyone. I love everything. I love my friends and my students and my family and everyone and it's *really* hard for me to not have everyone talk about how much they love each other in my stories. I figure, however, that these dorks have been dating for years now, *someone* should make the first move, so thanks for being the guinea pig, Bert.


	8. Prince Consort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Tot moves back into the castle to become an adviser to Queen Garnet; Zidane helps him unpack his belongings, and Doctor Tot gives the genome a few thoughts to unpack in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically a filler chapter. I had a little trouble even figuring out what to put in here; it took a few weeks but I eventually came up with this. It's time for everyone to remember Doctor Tootsie, as he should always be remembered by all.

Zidane awoke a little earlier than normal, for he dreamed he was being strangled by a constrictor, and when he opened his eyes, he found that Garnet was squeezing him tight, perhaps because she didn't want him to crawl away like last morning. He didn't wish another nightmare on her, not like yesterday, and he shifted so he wasn't being crushed, but he didn't pull away from her and turned to look at her expression.

Ahhh, there she was, her angelic face instinctively burying in his naked chest. It was only then that he wondered if she was going to drool on him sometime down the road; it might have been cute when she did it to a pillow, but he wondered how he might take it if she did it while they were sleeping in the middle of the night...

She shifted slightly, and the jolt through the genome's body proved that it was _very aware_ of a soft, female body pressed against his, and he wriggled a bit with a cough.  It really wasn't her fault, she was just being clingy, like usual. “Hey, hey, Dagger,” he whispered, kissing the crown of her head, “I gotta, _ngh_ , can you wake up for a sec?”

Garnet murmured, roused from her slumber by his speech, and her lips on his skin sent another jolt through his body and  _holy shit_ was he getting  _a_ roused at that point. “Mmm... Zidane?” she asked, pulling back ever so slightly so she could look up at him in the eyes, “Oh, you waited up for me. Thank you...”

Not like he had much of a choice; she was still holding him “captive” at this point. He reached up and cupped her face with a smile, “You were looking so cute, so I didn't want to bother you yesterday. Would you prefer if I woke you up next time?”

Garnet nodded with a small yawn, “Mmhm, then Beth won't chastise me anymore. Oh, Zidane?” She blushed red and looked up at the genome with an embarrassed grin, “I'm so sorry about last night.”

Zidane tried not to turn green at the thought; that night started out so good, and then, well, the queen's inexperience kicked in, and... “It's not your fault, you'll get there in time, just uh, next time, try  _not_ to twist off the little guy...?”

“I-I didn't want to hurt you!” Garnet said defensively, her mouth agape in horror, “I just, I was thinking that maybe it would be okay and I didn't realize how _sensitive_ it was and...!”

Zidane almost laughed at how much she was over-analyzing the situation, but he didn't want her to think he was laughing at her attempts to be active in her first real sexual encounter. Besides, over-analyzing the situation was what made Garnet herself, and he wouldn't trade anything about her for the world. “Well, that time it  _was_ a little spontaneous. Next time we'll get some supplies, okay?” The genome was sure that anyone in the castle would leap at the opportunity to help their queen release some stress. ...Well, anyone who wasn't a sassy cousin-clone who hated his guts.

Zidane kissed the back of Garnet's hand and watched her form as the queen rose from her bed semi-reluctantly, and the genome was instantly reminded of the saying “hate to see her leave but love to watch her go.” He tried not to leer too much; she was still skittish about sex when she wasn't aroused, and instead he lounged on his stomach, flicking his tail and trying to give her something just as nice to look at. By the time she put on some underwear and turned around, she actually sprayed a fine mist into the air from her sudden laughter. “Zidane, what in the world are you doing!?” she crowed as the genome stretched and, once again, wagged his tail. Garnet threw a blouse at him with a laugh before pulling another one out of her dresser. “Hurry up and get dressed before Beth comes in,” she said offhandedly.

With a groan, her lover rolled over and slipped the blouse on, ignoring its frilly lace as he found his vest. When Garnet looked back up at the now fully clothed genome, still wearing the lacy blouse under his vest, her heart slammed into her chest, and Zidane caught the way her pupils dilated. When he grinned ferally at her, she turned away with a red face and moved to her vanity to collect her brush. “We're going to need to get you some other clothes. You're going to have to wash your pants at some point.”

“I heard from Steiner and some of the villagers that new clothes are few and far between,” Zidane reminded her, glancing at her red face through the mirror, and his smile widened just a bit, “Besides, you don't seem to mind how I look in your clothes. I can pull it off well, apparently.” Maybe not with that orange jumpsuit of hers though; his groin would just _die_.

“I suppose you would look cute in anything...” Garnet admitted, shaking her head. She tried to make it sound like she was teasing him back, but the way she acted when she initially saw him in his new outfit made Zidane think she was being entirely truthful about that statement...

It was then that Elizabeth knocked on the door, and Zidane pursed his lips when she walked in without even announcing herself. The two could have been in the middle of a heated make-out session and she probably wouldn't even think twice about barging in. It wasn't like this was her room or anything.

The two glanced at each other, and Elizabeth paused, unable to come up with a witty line for the first time since they met. “Of course,” she finally muttered, snorting at Zidane's feminine blouse before looking over at Garnet brushing her hair out.

“Eh, I think it makes me look debonair,” the genome said, picking at the ruffles on the sleeve with a smirk, “Like a swashbuckler, you know?”

“You keep telling yourself that,” Elizabeth snarked, immediately walking over to Garnet and drawing her hair back with a glance in the mirror. “Would you like it up today, or down?” She turned ever so slightly to glance at Zidane with a scrunched face, essentially glaring the genome from the room. The young man knew when he wasn't wanted, and the moment he left the room, he was once again alone in the castle.

It was the first time he was just a little bored as he slipped past a few of Beatrix's squad; the last thing he wanted was to go find Steiner and see him running himself further into the ground, so he decided to keep away from the barracks for the time being. He wandered over towards the kitchen, easily dodging the onionmeister as he charged out of the dining room with a huge shopping list trailing behind him.

The kitchen was mostly empty aside from Mullenkedheim, who was, like usual, splayed out over the table and shoving last night's dry bread into his mouth. He had some butter next to him, and he had absolutely no trouble buttering up the bread above his head as he lay over the table. There he was, buttering the rock hard bread and stuffing it into his mouth with a loud crunch. Zidane almost winced; he wondered if Garnet had to fix a broken tooth once in a while with this guy's eating habits. “Yo, Mullen, what's up?” the genome asked.

Pluto Knight IX leapt into the air in fright and whirled to face him. “I swear I wasn't eating anything! I was just...” He glanced at the buttered bread in one hand and the knife in the other. “I was...  _buttering_ all of the bread for the rest of the castle! You know me! Always helping people out!”

“You okay there?” Zidane asked. He had never seen the guy so skittish before, “What's got you all worked up?”

“...You mean a ghost girl isn't going to leap out of the ceiling and try to eat my soul?” the knight asked. When he was met with an incredulous look, he shrugged and began crunching again, returning to relative normalcy.

Zidane was about to continue the “conversation”, but he was interrupted when he heard the familiar clank of his good pal. He turned slightly to watch Steiner enter the dining room, and the captain immediately set to berating his subordinate. “Mullenkedheim! I should have known you'd be skulking about here! Why aren't you in the library!? You're supposed to be helping Doctor Tot with his unpacking!!”

Zidane perked up immediately, his tail flicking happily at the captain's annoyed shouting, and he smiled brightly. “Look at you, Rusty! All bright and full of vigor! I knew you'd feel better if Beatrix dragged you off for a booty-call!”

Mullenkedheim spewed crumbs all over the floor and proceeded to choke on the rest as Steiner sputtered madly, his face a lovely shade of red. “H-h-h-how _dare you_! My personal life is just that, you frilly monkey! Where the hell did you even get that stupid thing!?”

Zidane picked at the hem of his blouse once again with a shrug, “Dagger gave it to me. I think I can pull it off though, don't you think?”

Steiner sighed as Mullenkedheim collapsed under the table, still hacking. “You're lucky Quina even lets you eat whatever you want here! Of  _course_ the one thing they haven't learned yet is  _earning_ one's meal!” Zidane silently noted that the captain didn't say the genome  _couldn't_ pull it off, and instantly assumed he was trying to avoid admitting he looked awesome as hell. He watched as Steiner continued to ineffectually berate his subordinate, but before the guy could literally pop a blood vessel, the captain turned back to the genome and waved a gauntlet at him, “And you, Zidane! You obviously have nothing better to do except bother my men; why don't  _you_ help Doctor Tot with his unpacking?”

Zidane shrugged in response, his head kind of ringing from the screaming. It'd do him well to find some quieter things to do after that early “wake-up call”, “Sure, whatever. Haven't had a chance to talk to him since I arrived anyway.” He didn't even know the giant-beaked doctor was even in the city; last he heard the guy had that observatory-turned-studio in Treno. Oh well, it wouldn't do good to just sit there wondering about the good doctor's business, he might as well go meet the guy in the library and keep Steiner from exploding.

The genome jogged from the room and headed downstairs towards the library. He remembered there being two, but he only really knew one of them with certainty. It was the one where he exorcised a demon in a book, and he remembered Eiko mentioning that Ifrit used to do that very same thing by burning any possessed books with his holy flame. Man... no wonder Garnet was so intent on learning about the Summoner Tribe, their myths were _hardcore_.

When Zidane arrived in the library, he found that the place was mostly empty. There was what appeared to be a scholar in one of the corners of the library, reading off a tome about the first excursions to the Outer Continent, and what appeared to be a Pluto Knight hiding in another corner, jotting down something in a manuscript of his own. However, there was no Doctor Tot to be seen, and the genome's tail swept along the bookcases as he walked through. Maybe the doctor was in the other one on the other side of the main hall? To be fair, it wasn't like Steiner said anything about which one, and it was always weird that there were two libraries in the first place. Maybe one side had histories while the other side had plays?

Whatever it was, Zidane didn't have time to ponder it further, as at that moment, he heard the squeak of both wheels and feet as the doctor walked a small cart full of boxes and other assorted knickknacks. The genome immediately realized why Steiner assumed he'd need help: that was a lot more stuff than he assumed a little guy could have, although the one time he was in the doctor's observatory, it was an absolute mess. he was a definite packrat, no doubt. “Woah there, doc!” Zidane called, hopping up to the tiny man and waving him down. “You need any help with all of that? Where're you takin' it anyway?”

“Oh! Zidane, was it?” Doctor Tot asked, adjusting his glasses and peering up at the genome, just to make sure he did indeed get the right person before continuing, “Queen Garnet has asked me to return to the castle as an adviser, so I must move some of my things back to my old room up on the third floor.” Zidane looked at all of the boxes, and his tail instinctively drooped at the thought of the hike. “Yes, I'm sure that everyone has made that face since hearing the news.” The good doctor chuckled and reached out to take one of the smallest boxes on the top of the pile, “Well, you needn't worry. I can handle all of this myself.”

“Yeah, in like half a day,” Zidane replied, picking up a pile of three and walking alongside Doctor Tot. “Eh, these aren't as heavy as I thought they'd be.”

“The ones on the top are the lightest, of course, but your help is appreciated,” Dr. Tot replied as they walked past the dining room, where they heard Steiner continue to yell at a possibly oblivious Mullenkedheim. “Ahaha, some things never change,” the doctor said as they walked past the dining room and the shouting got quieter as they left, “I remember hearing Master Steiner yelling at Lady Beatrix nonstop. Beatrix never replied with as much vitriol, but neither could see eye-to-eye until very recently.” And even then... The doctor adjusted his box for a second so he could push his glasses up his giant nose, and he continued onward, “And here you are, helping an old man move into the castle, just like your predecessor!”

Zidane blinked, looking down at the doctor with a confused look as they began ascending the next flight of stairs. “There was another sexy-as-hell monkey-man boy-toy wandering the castle?” That raised  _so_ many questions about Brahne's and Kuja's relationship.

Doctor Tot let out a jovial chuckle as he realized where Zidane's mind was flitting off to, and he turned slightly to the genome, “No, of course not. I'm talking about Nathan, Queen Brahne's husband. He was Alexandria's most recent Prince Consort.”

Zidane froze as Doctor Tot continued to toddle up the stairs unabated. _Prince_? He and Garnet hadn't even talked about their plans past screwing around (quite literally) and this guy was already calling him a prince!? Shaking his head out, he followed after the now smirking doctor and asked for more info, “His name was Nathan? That's Dagger's dad, right?”

“Queen Garnet's father was quite the wild buck in his youth,” Doctor Tot replied, knowing that Zidane's real question was more in-depth than that, “He was a smart young lad, and he had many different suitors. Alas, their hearts were broken; he claimed his greatest love was Alexandria itself.”

“Sounds like he just didn't go for rich girls,” Zidane said with a shrug, “I bet he didn't mind slumming it with the poor. That does raise a question though...” The two arrived at Doctor Tot's new room at that point, and after Zidane pushed it open with his foot, the two entered and placed their boxes on the floor. The genome flopped in a chair with a sigh and looked over at the short man, “So wait, how'd he get set up with Brahne anyway? Aside from, well, marrying a _queen_ and all.”

“Aha- well, that was Her Majesty showing her intelligence and quick wit,” Doctor Tot replied, settling down in the chair next to Zidane and steepling his fingers. His mustache turned upwards, showing that there was a smile under the bushy mess, “She told Master Nathan that marrying her was basically marrying Alexandria, his 'greatest love'. There wasn't much he could say to that, and he agreed to the union.”

Zidane chuckled brightly and shrugged, but Doctor Tot was in full reminisce mode, and he let out a deep, wistful sigh as he remembered the times that were, “But they truly did love each other, if not at the beginning, then further down the road. And they loved Garnet too. Ah, the uhm...” The air became a little thicker as Tot gulped down a bit of bile, “...The first Princess Garnet. Queen Brahne was inconsolable when she died; I'm unsure how she could have gone on if it weren't for the little girl who came into the harbor that stormy night.”

Zidane's lips moved on their own as he remembered the letter they found in Madain Sari, “It was Sarah. Dagger...”

“Indeed, the little Summoner. It was Master Nathan's idea to replace her with his daughter. Queen Brahne at first showed little love towards her new daughter, but when she saw her husband caring for her as if she were born from his seed... well, it was hard to deny that he loved with great devotion, to Alexandria and to Princess Garnet, and Her Majesty soon learned to love Princess Garnet the same way Master Nathan learned to love her.” The doctor removed his glasses and pulled out a kerchief to wipe them down, and the next words he said were as heavy as the topic they shared. “There is a saying here in Alexandria, 'The Queen may be the Law of Alexandria, but it is her Prince Consort that is its Heart'.”

Zidane looked down at his hands in his lap; he hadn't realized he was clenching them together so tightly until then. The Queen's husband, the Prince Consort. He was the “Heart” of Alexandria, someone the people could love and who would love them back unconditionally. There must have been a reason Brahne chose Nathan in the first place...

...Was there a reason Garnet chose him...? “I don't know if I can fill such big shoes,” Zidane said truthfully. He liked the people of Alexandria, sure, but being their _heart_? It was a tall order, and the genome wasn't sure that he had what it took to be a father to an entire kingdom.

Doctor Tot let out a hum of agreement as he placed his glasses back on his giant nose, and he turned to smile at the thinking man. With a huff, the good doctor rose and placed an old hand on the genome's knee. “Take your time, Zidane. At least now you know what is expected of you; I'm sure you'll come to the right decision, both for you and for Queen Garnet.”

Zidane nodded, but he didn't respond beyond that, and Doctor Tot moved back to continue his unpacking. He knew that the genome would come and help him when he was done upacking his own thoughts.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I suddenly realized when thinking up stuff Doctor Tot could talk about with Zidane that there was another Prince Consort that the others in Alexandria would know, and, well, this story IS about the Prince Consort! I guess the truth is that it's about the Prince *Consorts* of Alexandria! :V
> 
> So Nathan was made up; Garnet's father never had a name and was rarely mentioned, which means he's perfect for me to use since I can do basically anything with him and it'll still technically be canon! Take that, loopholes! But I think what the characters will remember of him will paint him as a pretty cool dude, and someone that Zidane's going to have a tough time aspiring to live up to.
> 
> Also I find that usually the "drama" of Zidane becoming Garnet's husband tends to be more "Zidane can't be a noble", so I wanted to paint Nathan as rough around the edges too. You marry your father, as they say, and Garnet probably sees a bit of Nathan in Zidane. That way we can have something a little different from the norm!
> 
> PS: The talk about Ifrit purging possessed books with sacred fire is an FF5 reference. The Warriors of Light find Ifrit in the ancient library where he just kinda chilled murdering demons in books, and the book enemy in the game is a reference to those book demons in FF5.
> 
> (Also rip Little Zidane 2018, done in by being overly manhandled by an inexperienced queen, mea culpa.)


	9. The Chill Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A letter from Lindblum and Burmecia arrives, and sends Alexandria Castle into a state of turmoil. A chill wind blows through the decrepit masonry, and it is apparent things will never be the same after the upcoming trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a ton of trouble getting all of this to sound right, so it took longer than expected. People who know my writing know that I'm much better at comedy (and action, apparently!!), but drama is definitely something I'm not experienced in and doesn't come as naturally. On the one hand, stepping out of my comfort zone and all that... on the *other* hand, things might be a little slow going.
> 
> Also the story has been steadily moving away from the initial ideas that I had been thinking of when starting this; I'll get back to the other ideas later, but now I really should be changing the summary on my story at this point!

While Zidane helped Doctor Tot unpack in the castle, Garnet sat in her throne room, trying not to look as intense as she felt as she listened to a contractor list off where their supplies were going for the city's restoration. “At this point, I would hazard to say that we are moving swiftly with the rebuilding effort, although our lumber situation is woefully low. How goes the production in Zamo Basin?”

“Things are going smoothly,” the queen replied, holding her hand out. Beatrix, who had been standing at her side the whole time, handed off a clipboard, and the queen immediately set to perusing it. “The townspeople have been using everything for their own houses first, and, let's be honest, they deserve to have their homes built first as they're the ones who are providing such a necessary resource.”

The contractor was used to building mansions for Trenoians, and he was unsure how to respond to that. “Ah, yes, of course. I just pray that they will be able to send more supplies our way a little quicker. It won't matter how happy your citizens are to rebuild their homes if there is nothing for them to build with.”

Garnet nodded and checked over the roster of people who had volunteered to live in the new settlement, and a smile twitched at the edge of her lips when she read a few familiar names on the list. “We have plenty of hard working people who wish to use this as an opportunity to start a new life.” If they played their cards right, the people in the slums of Treno would find work in the industrious village of Zamo Basin and beyond. All they really needed at this point was Freya's reply...

“Kupo, kupo! Queen Garnet, there's a letter!” a familiar squeak proclaimed as a furry mole-bat flew into the meeting hall with a shout. Mosh the moogle flew into the hall with a call, but he was halted by Beatrix's warning glare.

“Mosh, I care not how important it is! You will announce yourself properly before you enter Her Majesty's presence!” the holy knight ordered, her tone brooking no room for argument, and the moogle halted in the air, fluttering in the sky just before lightly floating to the ground, “What in the world could you possibly need with the queen anyway?”

Mosh whimpered lightly and lifted his letters, “I got two of them! Artemicion gave me two letters from Freya and Regent Cid! Let's read them together, kupo!”

“Are you _kidding_ me right now,” the contractor huffed as Mosh opened the one from Atla. He turned to Garnet with a frown, “You can't honestly tell me that you're going to listen to thi-” but he stopped when he saw that the queen had immediately sat up in her chair and looked much more alert. How could she ignore such an important part of her city's restoration to listen to letters from _moogles_ of all things!?

Mosh cleared his throat as Beatrix crossed her arms, and the moogle began:

“ _From Freya to Queen Garnet;_

_I hope this missive finds you well. We received your letter, and after careful consideration, His Majesty has decided to let Lindblum take on Beatrix's trial, provided the Regent accepts your request as well._

_In other news, I spoke to some of the Cleyran Geomancers, and a particularly adventurous one admitted to wanting to see more of the world. Miss Raine will be arriving in Zamo Basin as soon as she can. Sending an announcement to the village will most likely help her acclimate to her new surroundings quickly._

_Already I am missing the time we spent together; let us find some time to go on another adventure.”_

Garnet looked up at Beatrix, her eyes bright, and the general let out a sigh that spoke volumes. “I suppose we know what's in the second letter then, hmm?” she asked as Mosh opened the second one.

“Ahem! _From Regent Cid to Queen Garnet;_

_I have received your letter, and the letter from Burmecia, and find that your request is acceptable. Perhaps this shall bring closure to all of our nations and shall relieve the tension we have shared during this time._

_I have already begun the preparations to bring the Hilda Garde 4 to Alexandria with a small contingent of soldiers, with direct orders to see General Beatrix safely to Lindblum. Please do not hesitate to allow others to join the general on this trip; I know you would prefer to have some personal guards watching out for her._

_As well, please do find an appropriate defense. I am unsure if anyone here in Lindblum would be able to do so without prejudice.”_

Beatrix stood frozen in place at that last line, but that didn't stop Garnet from looking slightly giddy at the news. “Did you hear, Beatrix? They've agreed! It's all working out the way we planned! Do you know what this means?”

“It means that I will be leaving soon...” the general replied without a hint of joy. It halted Garnet's happy question, and the queen saw the hurt and fear in her general's eye. “...and that I may not return.” She was conflicted; she wanted it to be over as soon as possible, but she also wished to prolong everything as long as she could. Both she and Steiner had gotten so much closer, and for a moment she wished that they could have some time to spend together before she was sent away from him, perhaps forever. ...Hahah... That would teach her for hoping for even one nice thing, like spending time with her loved ones before the end.

She reached up and touched just under her eye, and found that her finger came away wet. Ah... Dearest Bert... how would he react to the news...?

\---

The entire castle went into high alert once news reached the rest of the soldiers, and soon every worker and guard was running around, preparing for the arrival of the Hilda Garde 4. Beatrix knew that, had the news come only a day before, she would have become reclusive and shut her heart away from her lover... but she had learned very recently that separating the two of them would only hurt them more. Instead, she threw herself into her work during the day, ensuring that the castle would run smoothly if she did not return from the trial, and during the night she spent her time in her lover's arms.

It was their final night together, and the two held onto each other after their last bout of passion, both too tired and sweaty to do anything but clutch one another and weep silently. Beatrix had spent the last two weeks finally being able to truly open up to Steiner fully, and now she felt she could finally say what was truly on her mind. “Oh Bert, I don't want to go,” she admitted fully, her tears falling onto his bare chest as she lay atop and clung to him, “I don't want to leave you.” It wasn't until that moment, the one when she realized she may never see him again after tomorrow, that she was truly afraid to leave. “I... I want to run,” she said, truthfully, “to run away with you, justice be damned.” For how “just” could any person who would so thoroughly kill her lover's happiness _be_...?

Steiner held Beatrix's sobbing form as tightly and resolutely as he could, his face as stony as the general's usually was. For so long she would kiss away his fears and remind him after his nightmares that a chimera hadn't bitten Garnet straight in two, that Vivi didn't resent them for dragging him around on a dangerous adventure for a good portion of what little time he had on Gaia, and that the captain had made the right decision to let Zidane go back on his own to the Iifa Tree instead of dragging him back with them by the ear, despite the two years of their queen's depression.

She had been there to be his rock when he could not handle the stress, and now it was his turn to do the same as he rubbed her back and let her hold him so hard her nails threatened to break his skin. He kissed her forehead and she let out a frustrated growl. “I hate that I am so scared!” she confided, laying her head on its side so she could hear his steady, rhythmic heartbeat as hers raged, “I have spent this whole time accepting this, and it is  _now_ that I am having second thoughts!? It is asinine!”

“It is normal,” Steiner replied, his voice coming in her ears from both the air and the rumble in his chest. “I-I am pleased you would not wish to throw your life away so readily.”

Beatrix stared at the wall, her emotional state too turbulent to even move. “And yet I already am. This trial...”

“...Will be fine,” Steiner said firmly, almost forcefully, “You are an honorable woman who saw the wrongs she had done and worked to right them. You are not anything like those who abuse their rank or power.” He squeezed her reassuringly, and she tensed a moment before relaxing into his touch, “You, of all people, deserve forgiveness.”

Beatrix went quiet at that point, melting into his touch and considering the soft words he gave her. She couldn't be sure that he was saying that because he believed it, or because he was trying to keep himself from breaking down like she was.

...His strong, protective arm around her shoulders told her the answer, and she began to believe it too...

“I wish you could come with us,” Beatrix said, changing the subject, “But I can't let Queen Garnet lose the both of us in the same day.”

“You needn't worry. Breireicht will be joining you,” Steiner replied, looking up at the ceiling as they talked lightly with each other, “He may be athletically challenged, but he has the most curious ability to make people listen to him. I have no doubt he will find a way to help others understand your plight.”

Not worrying was easier said than done, although Beatrix was sure that the moment they were out of each others' arms and she was whisked away on the Hilda Garde 4, her Bert would become a sobbing mess. He was doing his best to keep from breaking down; he was being her rock this night. ...She felt her heart swelling with love and pride for her lover.

She closed her eye and let out a deep, tired sigh. “I just want this to be over as soon as possible, so I can be back with you.”

Steiner kissed her on top of her head with a grunt of affirmation, but he gave no other response. ...There was no other response that she needed.

\---

Garnet, meanwhile, paced softly in her room, her brow furrowed so deeply that Zidane felt more troubled than he probably should. He padded up to her silently and halted her pacing by wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her shoulder. “Hey, hey, Dagger, it's okay. It'll be...” ...He wanted to say that it would all be okay, that Beatrix would return in only a few days, and yet... he couldn't assume she would be fine. They couldn't have assumed _he_ would have returned safely from the Iifa Tree... “Hey, Cid was going to let you send a small group of knights with Beatrix to Lindblum, right? Send me, too.”

Garnet halted, her hand raised to touch the genome's cheek, her eyes wide, “You... want to leave...? You want to go back to Lindblum?”

“Not for long,” Zidane assured her, reaching up to hold her hand. He nodded and cocked his head with a smile, “You can't send Steiner with her, right? You need him here at the castle. I'll watch out for Beatrix for him and you.” There were plenty of people, angry people, who were still incensed at the atrocities that Brahne unleashed upon the world, and Beatrix was the last person they could “morally” take their rage out on. An assassination attempt wasn't out of the question, and protecting his friends was something he _knew_ how to do.

Garnet closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She reached up to grasp Zidane's full locks and hold him still so she could take a deep whiff of his scent. “Zidane, I-I don't know if I can handle being without you...”

“Hey, hey, Dagger, come on,” Zidane said, a chuckle in his voice, “You already did. You were so strong, for these past years. And this time you _know_ I'll be back. It's not like we're going off to war; I'll be back, I...” He almost halted, but he shook his head and smiled brightly at her with all the love in the world, “I _promise_ I'll be back.”

Garnet struggled to find words to refuse him, and yet, in his eyes she found no hint of a lie. She breathed his scent in just once more, wishing to remember it for the next few days that he'd be away.

Zidane held her tight as the queen nodded softly, giving in to his request reluctantly. “Please,” she said as they sat down on her bed, “Take care of Beatrix for us. I know you can. You saved the  _world_ . Surely you can save...” Her words caught in her throat when she noted the genome's expression change, and he looked away suddenly, unable to look at her.

“It was everyone in Memoria who stopped the darkness at the end...” Zidane said quickly, gulping a wad of bile. It was his friends who saved the world... Zidane couldn't even save his _brother_. “I... I can't make any promises about Beatrix, but I'll do my best.” He was from Lindblum; he might know something that the Alexandrians sent with Beatrix might need to know. He would do his best until the last, for Garnet, for Steiner, even for Beatrix.

\---

The day had arrived that the Hilda Garde 4 would land in Alexandria, and Zidane watched as, once again, the entire castle was abuzz. The genome stayed close to Garnet through the entire time, as the queen wished him to be as close to him as long as possible, and he couldn't deny her that last request.

The highest elite in Alexandria stood together in the castle courtyard, Garnet and Zidane, along with Captain Steiner, Beatrix and her lieutenant general, Gina. Standing behind the lieutenant general were the soldiers chosen to accompany Beatrix to Lindblum: Pluto Knights V and VI, Dojebon and Breireicht, as well as two from Beatrix's Squad, Jasmine and Nicole.

Beatrix felt naked without Save the Queen at her side, and she smoothed out the petticoat she was wearing. Her dress and bodice were clothing articles she would normally shun, but Gina had rightfully said that she should try to look as unassuming and quaint as possible. If anything, it might get a bit of pity out of whatever judge presided over the trial. They'd need all the help they could get at that point...

The airship touched down as the Alexandrians waited with baited breath, and Garnet grasped at her dress to keep the wind from playing with it too much. Steiner grabbed at Beatrix's hand, and she squeezed it tight in reply, her heart hammering in her chest. The ramp was extended and two Lindblum soldiers saluted their captain...

...And Eiko appeared on said ramp. She practically sailed down and into Garnet's confused but waiting arms. “Dagger! When father told me he'd be sending people to Alexandria, I just  _had_ to go visit you for a bit!”

Garnet gave a confused cough as Eiko knocked the wind out of her, but she couldn't help but feel overjoyed that Eiko took the time to visit, even in this dire circumstance. “Oh Eiko, I'm so happy to see you too. Thank you for coming out all this way,” the queen replied, hugging the princess back.

Zidane reached out to fluff out the princess's purple hair, but it was at that moment that the true “captain” had arrived, and everyone looked up at the person in charge of the Hilda Garde...

...And the genome squinted at the boy that stood regally at the top of the ramp. He was older than Eiko, obviously, but he was still just a teenager, still set to have a few growth spurts and wearing makeup to hide his obvious teenage acne. He was still a boy, and they put  _him_ in charge of bringing Beatrix to Lindblum?

Despite his youth, he carried himself as one who was trained to lead, and he wore an outfit similar to Regent Cid's, complete with cape and tights. “Princess Eiko, please,” the boy said in a tone that showed he had studied public speaking for many years previously, “It matters little if you are good friends with the Grand Queen of Alexandria; you are representing a country and must conduct yourself appropriately in front of such distinguished people.” The boy regarded each of the Alexandrian dignitaries before bowing low and descending the ramp. “Your Grace, Queen of Alexandria, allow me to introduce myself; my name is Lord Scott Kashuan, the patriarch of the Kashuan family.” He finally set foot on solid ground, and the teenager approached the queen before bowing once more with a flourish of his cape. Eiko  _groaned_ in exasperation.

“No one even _cares_ except for you, Scott! Everyone here knows how to let loose once in a while, and you're such a wet blanket that you didn't even learn how to say 'hi' to your best friends! Do you even _have_ friends!?”

“I have plenty of friends, thank you very much,” Scott replied, his stoic frown reminding Zidane of someone as the teenager continued, “I just do not _hug_ them in public.” Or ever, really. The young lordling waved his cousin off dismissively when she stuck her tongue out at him, “Regardless, do what you will, I am not here to babysit you.” Kashuan's lord turned to appraise Beatrix as Garnet held Eiko back to keep her from bludgeoning her cousin in the head. “General Beatrix, I take it? I must admit, I expected someone... grander.”

Steiner let out a rumble in his throat, but Beatrix squeezed his hand and regarded the lordling appropriately, “If you honestly believe that I have a better chance of finishing this trial intact if I were dressed as if I were going to war, then by all means, allow me a moment to get changed.”

Scott's smirk was half-baked, as if he recognized the dig and was fighting to keep from getting offended, “Aha- I see your point. I have heard a lot about you, Lady Beatrix. You are a calm and capable woman, and yet you are still a criminal according to Lindblum. You have the right to a fair trial, but we must cuff you while you are on the Hilda Garde, as it is technically Lindblum soil. It is my brother, Gordon, who will-” Scott paused and turned to gesture at the air. Eiko snorted with laughter and Zidane coughed as the young lord broke into a sweat, his calm persona cracking under pressure.

Gordon whirled around and scanned the airship. “Where in the world is Gordon!?” he called up at the other guards, “Wasn't he  _just_ by my side when we touched down!?” Did his simpering sibling run off  _again_ !?

Scott crossed his arms from both anger and embarrassment as the Lindblum guards rushed off to collect the lord's brother. The young Kashuan tapped his foot and and took a deep breath, counting back from ten and  _willing_ himself not to care about how everyone's eyes were boring into him, judging him and his incompetence. It was especially hard to ignore Eiko, who was actually snorting out loud in laughter, despite Garnet's attempts to keep the child at bay.

Finally, one of the guards came forward, dragging along a stringy, bean-like teen with long, blond hair drawn back into a ponytail, just like Scott's hairstyle. It was very obvious from the way he looked that he was related to Lord Scott, although he carried himself much differently as he stumbled down the ramp, mumbling something under his breath and nearly tripping over his two feet.

“My-my apologies for the wait,” Scott said, turning back to Garnet and attempting to salvage the diplomatic expedition, “This _child_ is my younger brother, Gordon Kashuan,” he glared pointedly at Gordon, who flinched under the glower. The two brothers didn't seem to be that far apart in age, but it was clear who held the power in their family, just from their mannerisms. “As you can see, he is still inexperienced in the ways of diplomacy. I wish only to train him up to something befitting...”

Zidane noted that the other teenager's shoulders were hunched, and the younger Kashuan found peoples' legs and feet a lot more interesting, as he couldn't meet anyone in the eyes. The genome's heart instantly went out to Gordon as Scott berated him in front of the Alexandrian dignitaries, and he spoke up with a loud, brash voice, “That's all well and good, Scott, but does that really have anything to do with Beatrix?”

Scott froze, as he just realized he had been monologing for far too long, and he nodded furiously at Zidane, his face still dark red from embarrassment. “Y-You are right. I will watch my tongue from now on, my lord.” He then whipped around to look at his brother, who couldn't meet his brother's gaze and instead stared at his boots, “Come, we have business to attend to.”

“...D-don't know why you e-even needed me...” Gordon muttered under his breath, taking the iron cuffs up in his hands and approaching Beatrix with a trembling gait.

“We'll talk about it _later_!” Scott hissed in response, feeling unbearably hot from all of the eyes on him, judging him and his inability to handle everything. First Eiko backtalked to him on his first real diplomatic mission outside of Lindblum, and now _Gordon_ as well!? Might as well just jam the knife right into his future as a dignitary right _there_!

The awkward air never left as Gordon approached Beatrix, his stride fearful; it was obvious he knew the stories about the general of Alexandria, and she was the last person the young teenager wanted to cross. “Ahh, G-General Beatrix. By the r-rights vested in me as a n-noble of Kashuan and c-caregiver of Gizamaluke Grotto, I h-hereby place you under arrest for crimes... a-against the C-Crown of Burmecia...”

Steiner and Beatrix exchanged one last, longing glance at each other, and yet, Steiner still could not bear to release his lover... “Steiner,” the general said decisively, looking him straight in the eye, “If I do not return, I beg of you, do not mourn forever. I would wish for you to move on.”

The captain's hand trembled in hers as he fought to keep from lifting her into his arms and fighting off anyone who dared take her from him... “Know that no matter what happens, even after I finish my mourning, that I will always love you. Now and forever.”

Beatrix's smile was so happy, so relieved, that the two could finally release each other, their hands lingering in the air for a moment, as if reaching out for the other... before Scott coughed and Gordon jumped, nearly dropping the cuffs he was holding. He caught them with his left hand before walking forward and staring at Beatrix's outstretched hands, her poise submitting to the arrest. Even then, Gordon could barely go through with the act. “I-I am so sorry, General Beatrix...” he whispered softly, clasping the woman in irons before whirling around and retreating to his brother's side, his eyes staring fervently at the grass.

Scott huffed in relief and placed his hands behind his back. That-that wasn't so hard! Uncle Cid would definitely come to see how far he had gone in his studies! “Well then, General Beatrix, come along, your contingent may accompany you, as well.” He looked at the guards who stood at attention (aside from Dojebon, who was getting antsy and bounced in place) and bowed low, “You shall be treated as our most esteemed guests while we travel. Let us make haste; if we hurry we can make it back to Lindblum by the evening and get some dinner at the castle.”

Eiko huffed, but didn't like the prospect of eating in the air; she turned to Garnet and sighed, “I wish we coulda talked some more...”

“There will be time for that another time,” Garnet said, dropping down to smile at her friend, “And besides, Zidane'll be coming along with you. Take good care of him for me, okay?” She raised her pinkie for a promise, and Lindblum's princess let out a shout.

“Zidane's coming too!?” She glanced at a shrugging Zidane before turning back to Garnet and raising her hand. The two shared a pinkie promise before she rushed to hug the genome. “Finally we can go on our date!”

Garnet's smile never left, but her jealousy streak kicked in just enough for her to remind the princess that it was “your _play date_.”

Scott coughed loudly to remind them of his presence, and Eiko let out a groan, “Al-right, Scott, we're _coming_!” she hissed, releasing her friend, waving at Garnet, and trotting over to Beatrix's side as Jasmine moved to help the general walk up the ramp onto the Hilda Garde 4.

Scott urged Gordon to follow the Alexandrians on board with a hard glance in his brother's direction, and the younger Kashuan nearly fell over himself rushing up the ramp behind the Pluto Knights. The lordling then turned around and bowed before Alexandria's queen as Steiner clanked to her side. “I will take care of your general, Queen Garnet, I swear on my honor as Lord of Kashuan.” At least, until the end of the trial, but the young lord assumed that was a given.

Garnet drew her dress into her fists, and she dipped low before the teenager in a deep curtsey. “We are in your debt, Lord Kashuan. May the Sunfire ever light your way through the dark.”

Scott started for a second; he apparently didn't suspect that she would be knowledgeable about his family's history. He recovered quickly, however, and bowed deeply in response, “May it shine light on this trial and let true justice be served.” He then rose, drew his cape the way he had seen his uncle do so, and moved to board the airship.

Steiner watched as the Hilda Garde 4 rose into the sky, and he peered to watch for even a hint of Beatrix at the side of the bow. Scott had probably immediately sent her away to the brig, however, and the captain's heart sank as the airship pulled away from Alexandria castle.

Garnet turned lightly and placed a hand on the back of the captain's gauntlet, but he didn't even notice her gesture, so intent was he to see Beatrix just one more time...

Beatrix was right. The moment the airship reached South Gate, Steiner choked on a sob and quickly excused himself. The queen wished there was something she could do, and she felt like a helpless teenager once again as she watched her friend briskly clank away.

She lowered herself to her knees and ran her fingers across the cobblestones of her destroyed castle, and she reviewed every moment of the past two years through her head, absolutely sure that there was nothing else she could have done to improve this situation.

...Then why did the chill wind cause her to shudder, as if Death had just passed by...?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO! We got some new bros to mention; Scott, Gordon, Dojebon, and Nicole! Scott and Gordon are princes in FF2, and their stories are pretty simple, but I've noticed that a lot of players don't like Gordon a lot. He's a simpering man-child, and by the time you get him in your party in-game, your characters are definitely stronger than him and you kinda have to babysit his butt and he's a liability. Think Edward from FF4, if you're an old American FF player. He eventually grows as a character, but by then the damage is already done, and it's not expanded upon enough for most people to care, especially when he is replaced by a badass pirate lady.
> 
> Scott, on the other hand, was hyped up in-game and out as this amazing god-being who fought off like a hundred imperial dudes before finally getting offed, and nearly everything that happens with Hilda and Firion actually revolve around this dead dude. YO Dissidia fans, did you know that Firion's love affair with the Wild Rose is because Hilda named the revolution after Kashuan's national flower because she wanted to bone Scott? Firion whining about roses all the time is because his princess wanted to make out with a dead dude. #youcantmakethisup
> 
> So anyway I kinda wanted to turn this on its head by trying to make Gordon a little more relatable, and show off a little bit about his and Scott's relationship. The biggest problem I had, actually, was writing to make Scott seem a little jerkish but not *insufferable*, so I'd like some thoughts if you have any feelings on their characters.
> 
> Lastly, we'll get to Dojebon in a bit, because he didn't actually do anything yet, and I'll talk about Nicole around then too.  
> Spoilers: She's actually *in FF9*. Your assignment for today is to either remember or find her in-game before the next chapter is released. :V


	10. Lindblum Grand Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Alexandrians ask Zidane about some Lindblum and Kashuan history, and a surprise is waiting for them when the Hilda Garde 4 arrives at Lindblum Grand Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! I had this written up like a month ago, but Golden Week, as well as me just wanting to fix up some nasty parts, kept it from getting updated quickly. So here it is! Hope you enjoy it!

The Alexandrians aboard the Hilda Garde felt a little out of their element. Nicole seemed to be jittery, and none of the Pluto Knights had ever left Alexandrian soil before (much to Dojebon's apparent chagrin), so everyone naturally gathered around Zidane, looking a little out of place and shifting on their feet. The genome's tail flicked as everyone stood near the brig within eye-shot of Beatrix, who sat silently in her cell and meditated on the land she left behind.

“So uhm...” Jasmine was the first to speak up, casting a sidelong glance at the Lindblum guards in the room. She turned back to the others and crossed her arms, “These Lindblum leaders aren't _all_ kids, right? I mean, Princess Eiko I get, but they just put this airship under the command of some child. No offense, but what was the regent thinking?”

Zidane scratched at his cheek, a thoughtful snort coming from his person as he remembered Lindblum politics. “He said he was Kashuan's patriarch. Kashuan has been a noble family of the regency since Cid I. In fact, Lord Egil Kashuan was Cid's rival during the Festival of the Hunt that started Lindblum proper. Not to mention, Hilda's a Kashuan too, by birth. Scott and Gordon are, quite literally, Cid's nephews.”

“So that kid's essentially the regent's number two...?” Brereicht murmured aloud, rubbing his lip in thought. Zidane hadn't considered that, but the moment the Pluto Knight said it aloud, the genome realized that Scott might have, at one point, been Cid's heir. No wonder he had been groomed so for public office. Zidane's tail swished when he realized that Eiko's adoption had pulled the rug out from everyone's plans to have Scott be the next regent, and he tried not to let his agitation and worry show as Dojebon brought up the next point.

“But if he's the _patriarch_ , that must mean that his parents aren't around, right?” Pluto Knight V asked, putting his hands on his hips and bouncing on his heels, “So what does that mean really?”

“Aha, so that's where you Alexandrians are.” Everyone turned and watched as Scott entered the room and glanced at his guests with a confused cock of his head. “Princess Eiko has been looking for you. Why are you all gathered in _here_ of all places?”

Everyone glanced at each other, but it was Nicole who spoke up first. “My apologies, Lord Scott. We're just... well,  _I'm_ worried for General Beatrix, is all. I think we all are.”

Scott nodded sagely (or, at least as sagely as he could manage, being a teenager), “I understand, this is a very troubling time for all of you. Now, I think I heard you had a question for me? Something about my parents?” He bowed bow before rising again, “I aim to assist you in any way possible.”

Zidane glanced at Dojebon, who shrugged and turned to the lordling. “You mentioned you were Kashuan's patriarch, but that would mean you're the oldest in the family, right?”

“Aha, you noticed that,” Scott replied, smiling in a genteel fashion with a slightly cocked head. “Kashuan Keep lies in the Aerb Mountain Plateaus, but our land is near Gizamaluke Grotto, and we have very close ties to the Burmecians, both back when we were at war with them and now that we're at peace. Father even learned the ways of the Dragon Knights from them as a gesture of goodwill; you could say that the Kashuan family is half Burmecian.” He let out a chuckle at his joke, but when he noted that no one else was laughing, he coughed and continued, “But that also means that if the grotto is ever attacked, we are tasked with protecting it, both to assist our allies and to protect Lindblum. When Alexandria used their black mages to attack Gizamaluke, Father left us to fight...” He halted, his eyes getting a far-away look.

...And the teenager looked across the way to look at Beatrix, who hadn't moved an inch since he arrived. “Uncle Cid wishes to help the general, so I will assist her as well.” His heart hardened lightly when he remembered the atrocities of the black mages, and he clenched his fist. “...I just cannot understand why.” The lordling turned back and nodded at the Alexandrians. “I just want peace, and if this trial brings that, then I will do all I can.”

“Then we share the same goal, Lord Kashuan,” Beatrix said suddenly, speaking her first words since being placed in her cell. Her eye fluttered open and it met the teenager's wavering gaze, “I will do whatever I can to bring peace to this continent, and the world. If my death is what's needed to do so, I will go gracefully to the end.”

Kashuan's lord trembled, and he turned away to look up at the Alexandrian guards, who snapped to attention the moment their general spoke. The determination and resolution from Beatrix's gaze was reflected in her peoples' faces, and at that moment, the lordling finally realized why the general was so well loved. “...Then...” he began, gulping to wet his dry throat as he turned back to meet Beatrix's gaze with his own determination shining through, “I pray to the Sunfire that it does not come to that.”

He bowed low once again, but the way he drew his cape to leave the brig, he looked less like a boy playing at a lord and more like a young man who wished to reflect on the words that he shared with those kind people. ...He seemed to be at odds with himself as he passed by his guards and slipped away to his quarters.

Jasmine clucked her tongue and crossed her arms, turning to Zidane with a fine pout. “I don't really get him. He's just a boy, I know, but he speaks as if he knows everything there is to know.”

Zidane shrugged. “I may know about the Kashuans, growing up in Lindblum, but I don't know  _the_ Kashuans. I was stealing from King's mansion instead; he had a lot more treasure of  _actual_ value, if you catch my meaning.”

“Oh dude, that's right!” Dojebon said, slapping Breireicht away to charge next to Zidane, “You're some awesome thief-dude, right!? You musta traveled all over the place, well, I mean, you _did_ see the world with Her Majesty ( _Nice_ , by the way, am I right?), but you gotta tell me a bunch about all the cool things you did before you met her! She only told us stories about her adventures with you and the captain.”

Everyone turned to look at Zidane (although Breireicht pursed his lips at the thought of the genome's unlawful excursions), and he shrugged with a bright smirk. “Well, I suppose I can spare a tale or two before we arrive at the Grand Castle. How about the one time my brothers and I did a heist near the mines; there was this really nasty cartel that was using its power to create a monopoly on iron, and let me tell you, you do  _not_ want to get on the wrong side of the Lindblum Cartel, that is, unless you're a member of Tantalus!”

\---

Evening was beginning to end by the time the Hilda Garde 4 came to the Lindblum Grand Castle, and the Pluto Knights, as well as Jasmine, flocked to the bow of the ship to look over the magnificent city. “It's so amazing!!” Dojebon shouted.

“I never even imagined it could be so huge...” Breireicht admitted in awe. Zidane just laughed at them as they stared, mouths agape, and Jasmine looked up with a furrowed, questioning brow.

“Oh, sorry!” The genome said with a chuckle, crossing his arms, “You just sound a lot like Steiner when he first saw Lindblum. I didn't think you guys would be just like your captain, but here you are!”

Jasmine crossed her arms, but she glanced across the way as Nicole and Beatrix (the general was still bound) approached from below. Nicole kept checking to see if her general could walk aboard a still moving airship when her hands were still cuffed, but Beatrix handled it with a grace that was only acquired through much practice aboard other flying ships.

She regarded her Alexandrian brethren with a comforting smile that squeezed Zidane's heart. He didn't know if he could give that same smile if he failed to help Beatrix... if he had to go back to Garnet and Steiner without her. Would he be able to give them a smile to set their souls at ease during the darkest parts of their lives? Was it even possible?

...How could he be their Heart when he couldn't even smile like Beatrix, to reassure everyone even at the end of it all...?

The Hilda Garde 4 arrived in its personal port, and it was only when it landed that Beatrix stumbled for a moment, although that was true for everyone except Zidane. No,  _he_ fell over because he was tackled from behind by Lindblum's princess, who was ecstatic to finally find him again. “Were you avoiding me, Zidane!? That wasn't very nice of you!”

Zidane grunted at her hug before turning and smiling at his friend, “Sorry, Eiko, but I wanted to watch out for the other Alexandrians. Why didn't you look for me?”

“I had to make sure Gordon didn't cry like a little baby.” Eiko said, snorting a bit as she crossed her arms. Everyone turned as the plank was brought down, but the princess glanced over at the door to the brothers' room and looked up at Zidane, “He's nothing like you, Zidane, I should have just ignored him.”

“Hey now,” Zidane said, feeling almost sorry for that kid, “I bet he just needs a friend or two.”

It was at that point that the door they were looking at opened, and out stepped Scott, looking just as regal (but perhaps a little less stiff) as when Zidane had first seen him. The Kashuan patriarch moved forward, gloved hands still behind his back as he inclined his head towards Beatrix. “Shall we go? Uncle Cid has prepared a guest room for you here in the castle.”

Nicole blinked. “Wait, you're not going to take her to the dungeon?”

“Why would we?” the teenager asked, turning to face the guard. He rocked on the balls of his feet, trying to look a little taller before dropping back down, “Uncle Cid trusts you not to leave, and I feel that the general will be better protected up here instead of in a cell with people who might want her dead and are not above murdering those they don't like.” He pursed his lips, trying to find how to word his next sentence. “...I wish to trust you too. Please, show me that you're worthy of it.”

The Alexandrians all nodded immediately, their faces as serious as they could muster, knowing just how much leeway Scott and the regent were giving them. “Of course, Lord Kashuan. We'll comply with whatever is necessary.”

“But also check out this _sweet_ castle!” Dojebon shouted, giving a holler as he jogged down the ramp and practically zoomed to talk to the engineers preparing their checkup on the recently docked airship. Scott pursed his lips, but regarded the others' apologetic looks with a knowing smile. His gaze shifted to Eiko before he coughed and moved forward, leading the way.

As the group descended the ramp, they passed by a few engineers before looking up at the one person who was waiting for them all. He wasn't recognizable by most of the members, but Zidane had a strange sense of deja vu right up until Nicole let out a shout. “Justin!” she called.

The former leader of the Lindblum resistance, the Vigilantes, held out his hands in welcome, “Hey there, Nicole.”

The guard looked up at Beatrix with shimmering eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered, “Thank you for letting me come.” The general smiled in response and closed her eyes before nodding, and Nicole dashed past Jasmine and into her beloved's waiting arms. No one even said anything as Justin practically carried her off back to town so they could catch up on everything they missed when they were away from each other.

“Do you think she'll come back with us after all this is done?” Zidane asked as Scott led the way to the general's “prison cell”, “I mean, that was the face of a woman who found what she was looking for in life.”

“There are some people who have to change course from their first profession,” Beatrix agreed, “I feel that we need more people willing to search for what truly makes them happy in this world. After all, we don't have as much of a need for warriors anymore.”

Zidane shrugged and glanced over at Breireicht, who was fumbling with his armor and scratching at his more-salt-than-pepper hair, and the genome turned back to the general with a smile, “Besides, we've already got some great guardsmen, I think.”

Beatrix turned to smile at Zidane, “My thoughts exactly.”

\---

The “cell” was a guest room similar to the one that Zidane stayed in during his adventures, with four beds and a few desks. Pluto Knight VI immediately set to the task of claiming the desk as his own, and he dropped into the chair with what could only be called an “old man sigh”. Jasmine examined the city below with a whistle of appreciation, and Zidane sat on a banister on the second floor with Eiko, and the two watched as Scott removed Beatrix's cuffs. When Beatrix was free of her bonds, the young man looked up into her sharp eye, the one that cut him straight through, and the Kashuan took a step back. “I don't think I have to say that we'll be keeping you under watch here twenty-four-seven. If you have need of anything, please have one of your men alert ours. Do you have any questions?”

Beatrix looked up at Zidane, and the genome's tail swept along the banister in response. The general sighed good-naturedly before turning back to the Kashuan patriarch. “If I do, I'll have my men ask yours.”

Scott recognized the joke, and his countenance brightened considerably. “That sounds perfect. Lady Eiko! Shall we go see Uncle? I'm sure you're hungry for some dinner. Let's go together.”

“I think I'll stay here,” the princess said nonchalantly, glancing at Zidane with a swooning expression. Scott's lips pursed in response as her eyes sparkled at the thought of spending time with her hero, “You're going to feed everyone here anyway, right? Just bring another helping for me.”

The way Scott furrowed his brow showed that he didn't like that answer very much, but after counting back from five, he took a deep breath and nodded cordially. “V-very well. You have fun with your friends. It's been  _far_ too long since you've seen them, after all.”

“Did you just snark at me?” Eiko crowed in delight as Scott whirled around with a flourish of his cape, and he walked out as she shouted after him, “You did! I knew you had it in you!” She elbowed Zidane in the rib with the proudest smirk he had ever seen from her, “I taught him that. I'm practically a teacher now!”

The genome chuckled as he watched the young Kashuan leave the room. “And one of the best around, at that.”

\---

Dinner was served only a few moments after Scott's departure, and the guards, princess and general gathered around the several platters of duck, stew, gravy and diced vegetables. Dojebon had gotten lost in the castle, but the guards were smart to recognize that he was Alexandrian and pointed him to the guest room. “This place is insane! I bet you could fit three Alexandria Castles in here!” he announced as he tore off a duck leg and started munching down. “It took me like a half hour just to find my way back to you guys!”

“Then maybe next time, you won't run off without a guide,” Jasmine muttered from a little ways away, “Honestly, this is why you can't trust Alexandrian men to do anything useful.” She paused when everyone turned to stare at her, and she stuffed a few slices of cucumber in her mouth, “What?” she asked with a full mouth, “It's _true_.”

Zidane rolled his eyes as Breireicht turned to the genome, “Perhaps I could put that to the test. As General Beatrix's attorney, it'll be my job to come up with a defense that will put her in a sympathetic light.” He turned to Zidane, and both he and Eiko perked up when they noticed the Pluto Knight's attention was on them. “That's where you come in, Zidane.”

“Oh man!” Pluto Knight V shouted, spewing duck all over the table as he did so, “This is some patented Breireicht going on right here! This is why they call you Pluto Knight VI!”

Breireicht turned to Dojebon, “I'm pretty sure the reason I'm called that is because your artillery mastery was more useful than my encyclopedic knowledge.”

“So wait,” Eiko asked, glancing around the room, “If you knights are numbered by how useful you are, then why is Steiner Pluto Knight I?” Dojebon opened his mouth before opening his eyes wide and giving Breireicht a look that pleaded with him to remind him just what that reason was.

Breireicht let out a sigh, his “encyclopedic knowledge” coming out once again, “Well, it's because his swordsmanship is second to none among the men in Alexandria. Especially now that he has mastered the ancient art of the Knight Sword.” Coming back from Memoria with the strength to fell  _The-Desire-For-Death Itself_ probably helped widen the gap a bit as well. Pluto Knight VI shook his head and turned to Zidane, hoping to change the subject before he let it sink in that Alexandria had four of the nine Mortal Weapons of Mass Destruction calling its lands home, “But that is neither here nor there. I have a question for you, Zidane. I'll need to know as much as possible about the Lindblum Industrial Revolution.”

The genome blinked, his brows furrowed, “That was the time when Cid VIII was building his Mist Ships and stopping the war between Burmecia and Alexandria, right? Why are you asking me? I wasn't even alive during that time. Hell, you probably know more than I do.” Zidane leaned on his knees and took a deep, almost wistful sigh. Once again, he was useless in helping his friends. He told Garnet he'd help Beatrix, and look after her for both the queen's and Steiner's sake, and yet here he was, being useless...

Zidane's dejected sigh caused everyone else to look at each other worriedly, and although the genome didn't notice it, they had all felt put off by his sudden unhappy demeanor. “Uh, not to be rude or anything,” Pluto Knight V said, turning to the genome, “But like, where's the real Zidane? Queen Garnet would never stop talking about this amazing friend who helped everyone he met. Zidane was always a friend who found ways to help people, and he never gave up. He was the Heart of the group that led them all to the end.” He turned to Eiko, who's eyes were shining as the memories flooded back, “I-Isn't that right, your highness?”

Eiko nodded repeatedly before turning to Zidane, her eyes shining with adoration. “Yeah! Zidane was always there for us, and he'd never give up trying to figure out how to help everyone, even when Amarant or Steiner were getting on our nerves! He's the best friend a girl can have!”

The genome smiled back at Eiko, her happiness was infectious, and he couldn't help but smile in return. ...He had been worried for so long, whether or not he could be the Heart of a kingdom, but he hadn't even thought about how he had already been the Heart of his party. They had been relying on him, and there was a time, what seemed like forever ago, that he had tried to leave them, to let them go on their own, and it was then that they became  _his_ Heart. They had all supported him when he needed it the most...

...Wait a minute! He had been so focused on being the sole Heart of Alexandria that he hadn't even thought of the fact that everyone was there for  _him_ , as well! He didn't need to be the only person people looked up to, because he had Garnet and the others to rely on too! Why didn't he realize it before?

Zidane looked up at Dojebon, his eyes shining with a familiar wild sheen, “You know what, Number V? You're right! I don't even know what got into me!” He smiled at Eiko and turned back to Breireicht, “I've always been helping my friends out, and this shouldn't be any different! I'll do my best to help you guys out, no matter what!”

Eiko jumped up with a cheer, and even Jasmine's eyes shone with excited enthusiasm. “Yeah!” Lindblum's princess shouted, “Let's save Beatrix! This is the first time I've saved someone without actually beating someone up!”

“There's a first time for everything, don't you think, your highness?” Beatrix asked, her smile looking brighter than it had been since she arrived in Lindblum Grand Castle. Zidane glanced around the room, and he noticed that everyone had brightened up significantly. His speech had inspired everyone to push forward, like they had inspired him, and he suddenly felt a pang in his chest.

...Was that why Garnet chose him? Did she know he would be a good Heart for Alexandria? ...Did she truly wish for him to be her Prince Consort, like her father before him...?

...For the first time since he heard about the kind, beloved Prince Nathan, Zidane finally felt that he had what it took to be the man that Garnet needed for her country. All he had to do was  _prove_ it to himself.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Anna is amazing and remembered that Nicole is an Alexandrian guard you can meet in Lindblum during its occupation. She asked you to tell Justin, a leader of a vigilante group, to stop his work so she wouldn't have to fight him (or at least not have to see any more death), but Justin wouldn't stop fighting for his country's freedom. Were they lovers? Estranged siblings? Who knows! But now they can be together again, without any wars to mess up their time together.
> 
> Second is Dojebon, Pluto Knight V! He's based off of FF5, which means he's similar to Bartz, the Warrior of Wind. I assume this was portrayed as the knight who ran around willy nilly and could never sit still. It was incredibly hard to catch him and talk to him whenever he appeared, and I wanted to show this in the story as a person who could neither slow down nor shut up. He's the artillery master of Alexandria, apparently, which I guess was the reason why he never was able to leave the country. Not to mention he's a man, and, let's be honest, letting *men* fight on the front lines of a war is basically *begging* to be defeated.
> 
> Lastly is more Kashuan stuff. The first of the Kashuans that Scott mentions, Egil, is named after Egil's Torch from FF2. It's the only thing that can hold the ever-burning Sunflame without being completely devoured by fire (I guess? It's not exactly explained very well. NES games! *shakefist*). So I guess it was a gift from some otherworldly being, or Egil was just really good at not getting burned by fire or something. I bet Eiko probably has some Summoner Tribe reasoning for it, while Scott scoffs at her being a superstitious, unscientific child, and the two get into another argument. Fun times!
> 
> Looks like things are beginning to look up again, and Breireicht already has a plan. It's up to everyone to work together and help Beatrix out, so stay tuned for more boring exposition and trial preparation!!


	11. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is working to help General Beatrix in their own way. Even Dojebon, maybe! Things are looking hopeful, and some important news changes the way everything is viewed.

Zidane and Breireicht worked long into the night, long after Eiko was collected by the royal guards to be sent to bed, and long after Beatrix herself nearly passed out from exhaustion (thankfully they got her to the bed before she slumped forward in her chair). Jasmine tried to keep watch, especially when Dojebon fell asleep in a chair after talking her ear off, but even she was asleep by the time Breireicht rubbed at his sleepy eyes and smiled at the genome. “Thank you so much, that should be enough. Now, I'll compile it with my own notes...”

“How does it look, Number VI?” Zidane asked, his usual spritely tail drooping to the floor. Even he was beginning want some sleep at that point, but he knew they both had to keep going for Beatrix's sake, “Do you think you can get the general out of this?”

Breireicht let out a tired, belabored sigh, and he rubbed at his neck before cracking it, “One can never be certain; if Regent Cid was right, and no Lindblum citizen would take this case, then it's going to be really hard to find a judge who is going to be entirely impartial. No matter how you swing it, this isn't going to be easy...” He looked up at Zidane's pained face, and the Pluto Knight cocked his head with a smile, “But your assistance will prove invaluable; I know a little about Lindblum history, but not as much as a person who grew up here. I think I can use this for Lady Beatrix's trial. Thank you, Master Zidane.”

The genome's tail flicked up and his smile brightened. “Just Zidane'll do. Even if I become Alexandria's sexiest and coolest prince in its history, I refuse to forget where I came from.”

“Always remembering the little man, eh?” Pluto Knight VI said as he slowly rose, his joints cracking as they did, “Well then, I'm going to need to take a rest. Tomorrow, I'll compile everything and finish it up. Let's take a breather, shall we?”

Zidane nearly leaped up with a chuckle, “Yeah, it's been a long night. See you in the morning.”

\---

Technically, they saw each other in the afternoon, because Zidane slept in a lot longer than he expected. By the time the genome woke back up, he found the room entirely empty aside from Breireicht, who had awoken earlier and immediately set to work.

Dojebon's disappearance was to be expected; the kid couldn't keep still, but Jasmine and Beatrix missing made the genome's heart skip a beat, and he whirled to slide down the banister and land next to Pluto Knight VI. “Yo Breireicht! Where's Beatrix and Jasmine? What happened to them!?”

The Pluto Knight looked up and rubbed at his sleepy eyes. “What do you mean? ...Oh, right.” He glanced at the door and turned back to Zidane, “You needn't worry, a physician came by to collect General Beatrix. They need to make sure that she's healthy. No reason to put her on death row if she's going to die in a few months anyway.” Zidane's instinctive frown was met with a gentle smile. “I know, I know, it sounds morose, but I suppose it's just red tape, overall. I'm sure the general will be fine. I suppose we shouldn't mention anything like that to Captain Steiner; the poor captain will have a heart attack...”

“No kidding,” Zidane muttered, crossing his arms, “Well then, we're going to have to-”

“Yoohoo!!” Dojebon suddenly shouted, slamming the door open and making Breireicht jump in his chair. The poor knight was really too tired for an excitable, hyper kid running around. “I got a morning jog in! I mean, it was going to be morning, but then I got lost again, so it was more like an afternoon jog too! Oh, also the regent's coming by with the princess and General, so there's that!”

Zidane shook his head good-naturedly as Pluto Knight V jogged over to the slightly cold breakfast left alone on the table, and he waited when he heard the clomping of two Lindblum guards, who tromped into the room and saluted the doorway. Next came Jasmine and Beatrix, followed at last by Regent Cid and Eiko, the latter of whom rushed forward to hug Zidane with a delighted squeal. “Zidane! I heard you were so busy working last night that you slept in!” She glanced at Dojebon, who waved at her from the breakfast table, before she turned back to Zidane. “How are you feeling now?”

“Much better, actually. How about you? Your cousins aren't bothering you anymore, are they?” He assumed that since Scott had finished his mission and got Beatrix to Lindblum, the boys would be heading back home or just avoid the Alexandrians for the time being.

“I've decided I'm not even going to think about them anymore! You're here, that means I'm spending all of my time with you!” She looked over at Beatrix, who sat down near Dojebon as he started in on his breakfast. “Well, you and the other Alexandrians! But mostly you.”

“Duly noted,” the genome said amiably, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. He looked up at Regent Cid with a cocked eyebrow, “So everything's okay? With Beatrix, I mean?”

“Of course, thankfully,” the regent said, playing with his mustache, “It sounds like you know why we collected the general; she's in perfect health, and there's even some better news to add to it!"

Zidane turned to look at the group; Jasmine had gone to settle on her new favorite place, the balcony, and Dojebon was obliviously eating breakfast as if his general wasn't going to go on trial tomorrow. Breireicht hadn't spoken at all during the exchange; he was still poring over his notes. The genome had expected Beatrix to speak up about everything, but she seemed to be deep in thought, her eyes staring off at the wall of the room. Zidane felt an aura of tension cling to everyone in the room. He assumed everyone else felt it, but none of them wanted to say anything about it. What Cid had said stuck with Zidane, however, and he turned back to cock his head in question, “So what's the good news? Is there any bad news to go with it?”

“For once, there's nothing to worry about! Aside from the trial, perhaps. But even then if General Beatrix is convicted, there is nothing we can do for eight months. We would never harm an innocent for the sins of their mother.”

Zidane reeled, Breireicht's chair squealed as the knight turned quickly, and Dojebon continued to obliviously guzzle a flagon of milk. “Are you serious!?” the genome cried, whirling to face Beatrix, who still hadn't moved since she sat down. “Beatrix, you're pregnant!?”

Dojebon choked on his milk; obviously he hadn't even realized what Cid had been insinuating originally, and now he was coughing over the table as Beatrix sat unfazed. Jasmine was the one who groaned in exasperation and left her “place” on the balcony to come in and chastise he men. “Honestly! It's obvious the general doesn't want to be reminded of it every moment of her damned life! Leave her be, literally _no one_ cares!”

Zidane scratched at the light fuzz on his cheeks. It seemed more like _Jasmine_ didn't want to talk about it, because literally everyone in the room _but_ her seemed to care in some way. He wasn't about to try to get on her bad side, however, and Eiko seemed much more inclined to continue the train of thought. “It's not a problem though, right? It means there's going to be a cute baby, and soon Beatrix is going to be home, and everything will be great again!” The genome's eyes flitted to Breireicht, who immediately was back to work. He was determined help Beatrix's trial go well so that Eiko would be right, and Zidane tried not to feel tired just looking at the Pluto Knight. The man was getting too old for the lack of sleep he was getting.

Eiko's words made Beatrix's hand slowly travel to touch her stomach, but she didn't say a word. For a moment, the only sound was Dojebon trying desperately to remember how to breathe, and Cid cleared his throat so the others could turn to him. “This isn't just a social visit, at least for me; I wanted to tell you what I could about the judge who will be overseeing the trial.”

Breireicht looked up again, his interest immediately piqued, and everyone looked at the regent as he twirled his mustache. “He is a wise man. As impartial as I could find. His twin brother was a soldier who was watching over the Industrial District when Brahne invaded.”

Zidane bristled, much more than the others. Jasmine still sucked in a breath, and Eiko crossed her arms. That was the district whose citizens had all been devoured by Atomos during Alexandria's invasion of Lindblum. “...And he's the  _most_ impartial?”

“Judge Noah knows not to let the sins of Queen Brahne's actions damn what might be an innocent person,” Cid replied, “and, as I said before, he is the most impartial. Everyone in Lindblum knew _someone_ that had been killed, either by the black mages or Atomos.” Eiko snorted at the mention of black mages, but her father did not mention that topic any further. Besides, there were other things to worry about at that moment. “Everyone has a bone to pick with Alexandria, and there are people who will attempt to take it out on General Beatrix, even judges.” The regent's frown was apparent, even under his bushy whiskers. “I would have hoped they would be better about that, but considering the circumstances, I can hardly blame them.”

“I can!” Eiko shouted at her father, “Dagger's done her best to stop all of this death, and they're not trying to help out too!!”

“Eiko,” Zidane said suddenly, reaching out to touch her shoulder gently and snapping her from her rage. She turned to him and he shook his head with a smile, “I understand where you're coming from, definitely, but what we need to do now is to focus on how we can make things right, one step at a time.”

Lindblum's princess crossed her arms with a harrumph and looked over at the general, who was staring at the wall and moving her lips as if speaking to herself. Eiko let out a grumble and looked away with a nod. “I know, I know. I just... It's not fair...!”

The regent then turned back to Zidane, his face wearing a determined frown. “You know what to do, Zidane. Focus on Burmecia and Cleyra, since those battles were the most damning piece of evidence against her. Show everyone that she is not the monster they will attempt to paint her as.” He looked around the room, sizing up the Alexandrians, and a look of despair, perhaps even pity, crossed his features. “People will want revenge against Alexandria, and this trial will help shift that view for or against that revenge.”

Zidane knew what Cid was asking. He too hoped the cycle of blood and death would be ended in their generation. The young man's tail twitched erratically as he considered everything: he knew that Beatrix wasn't completely innocent of bloodshed, but he also knew that she had done good things and worked to improve herself. With Steiner and Garnet's help, she even managed to do so. If anyone deserved forgiveness, it was Beatrix.

...Now all that was left was to prove it to the Lindblumians and Burmecians tomorrow.

\---

Zidane and Eiko spent most of the day together, and Beatrix couldn't begrudge the new Lindblum princess some time with her hero. While Breireicht hardly moved from his desk, Dojebon was usually gone, which meant that the general found herself sitting alone on her bed, still trying to fathom what had happened with her life. She was whisked away from her home to a foreign land that may want her dead. She had accepted this, and was ready to die to protect the kingdom, and the people, she adored.

...And yet now she was pregnant. There was a child growing within her, and she could hardly believe it. Even if that Judge Noah found her worthy of death, then she wouldn't be killed until the child was born... She should be relieved, and yet she wasn't sure how she felt. How could she possibly go to her death after seeing the face of her child? Of Adelbert's child?

She hadn't even suspected. She thought the sickness was the stress from the journey. Now she would have to keep down her stress as much as possible, to protect the child. “Easier said than done,” she said silently, her mouth moving without any sound.

She didn't even look up when Jasmine approached, and her guard looked down on the general with worry with a worried expression. “Are you feeling well, general?”

Beatrix didn't really want to answer her subordinate (Was she even technically a subordinate? She was surprised people still called her a general at this point), but she knew that Jasmine was only worried for her, and honestly, she was happy for that. The general looked up at Jasmine with a smile and nodded, “I'm holding up, thanks. How about you? I'm worried that you're working too hard for me. It wouldn't do to have everyone get ill just because of me.” She glanced across the room, where Breireicht slouched over his desk and continued to scratch at his aging hair in frustration. “You're all working so hard for me. It hurts to see you pushing yourselves to the brink.”

Jasmine looked across the room, over at the elderly knight was still fixated on his work, and she tried not to scoff. “I can't speak for the guys, but you've done so many things for the  _real_ knights in the army. There are some people who are more loyal to  _you_ than to Queen Garnet.” Beatrix took a deep breath; she remembered hearing, back before Bahamut's attack on Alexandria, that there were citizens who had secretly said they wanted her to rule Alexandria instead. Some hoped Beatrix would do so until Garnet “came of age”, but still some wanted the general to rule for the rest of her life and create a new dynasty, especially after Garnet's true heritage came to light. It had taken a lot of work, both by Beatrix and by Steiner, to keep the people placated, but apparently it wasn't enough. There were still people who were loyal to her above all...

“Is that why you're here?” Beatrix asked, turning slightly to Jasmine, who tensed under her single-eyed gaze, “because of your loyalty to me over Queen Garnet?” There was an icy tone in her voice, one that made Jasmine freeze when she realized that perhaps her words would not be taken as kindly.

The two were quiet as both of their words sank in, but it was Beatrix sighed, suddenly feeling a larger weight on her shoulders. “I cannot be angry, there are others who believed the same thing. I understand that you wish to see me unharmed as much as Queen Garnet, but I must see my destiny to the end.”

“But General! Your strength and will have led us through the worst of times! You cannot possibly think that you have nothing left to give to your country!”

Beatrix interrupted the Alexandrian guard with a shake of her head, her face taking on her traditional stoic mask, “I am disgraced, a shell of my former self. I cannot be the leader you see me as, not anymore. However, if my death can make people see that Alexandria only wants peace, then this is the best that I can do for my people.” It was more than she could ever do as a queen.

A tiny smile formed at the corner of her lips. Besides, as much as she loved Adelbert (And yes, she could admit to herself that she loved him from within herself. Good luck getting her to announce it to everyone like a lovesick teenager, however...) she hardly believed he would be a good  _prince consort_ . She could just imagine him getting into fights with the citizenry over trivial matters.

Jasmine watched as Beatrix turned to look off in the distance, the mysterious smile still on her lips, but the guard could hardly believe what she was hearing. “But no, General Beatrix. You can't mean that! Alexandria needs you!” She stopped, and she ended up choking back a sob. “The guards need you...” Her face fell, and Beatrix realized what was really on her mind...

Beatrix turned back to her subordinate and searched her glossy eyes that threatened to leak. It was at that moment that she realized just how much the guards relied on her. Adelbert worried over her, Garnet focused so much of her energy to help her, and now even her guards could not bear the thought of losing her. It was with a heavy heart that she had to harden herself and turn towards the still working Breireicht. “Then I suggest you help the good Pluto Knight with his work. I'm sure he'll want some coffee; he's been working very hard.”

Jasmine's gaze fell, and her bottom lip quivered as she fought off her tears. “Y-you're right. Perhaps I should.”

Beatrix was quiet as Jasmine slowly stood and walked down the stairs to speak to Pluto Knight VI. ...As she considered her callous actions, the general clutched her hands in her lap, and wondered if she would be fit to lead ever again.

\---

Zidane and Eiko spent most of the day exploring the castle together. It was large enough that even though she lived there, Eiko still didn't know everything there was to know about it, and they took the time to explore some of the highest towers together. In the evening, the two found themselves at the top of a tower, overlooking the sunset together. They sat precariously on the balcony's banister, Eiko leaning against the genome and sighing happily. “This is so nice. I'm gunna miss you when you go back to Alexandria...”

Zidane hummed in agreement, his tail sweeping back and forth as he squeezed her shoulder, his arm wrapped around her back. Eiko snuggled closer and let out a lilting, pouting whine, “It's not fair. How come there aren't any other eligible bachelors here? No one's as interesting as you Zidane...”

“There's more to life than romance, Eiko. There are plenty of interesting people here, you just haven't found them yet; Lindblum's the biggest city on Gaia.” Besides, he didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he was pretty sure the only reason she crushed on him was because he was the first boy she had met that was nice to her (and wasn't related to her).

Eiko swung her legs, a frown apparent on her face as she looked out over the buildings and homes of her people. Her father and mother told her that they were her people, and that one day she may even watch over them as a regent herself, but it never really sunk in what that might entail. Were there that many people in Lindblum? Were there a few people that were like Zidane? “But I don't like them. Not as much as you.”

Zidane couldn't deny that. He was the most dashing, sexy dude on Gaia, but Eiko deserved someone who could love her with all of the intensity that he loved Garnet. He took a deep breath and leaned in to speak to her quietly. “Did you know that I didn't love Dagger when I first met her?” he asked, as if it were a huge conspiracy.

Eiko treated it as if it was; she whirled to stare at Zidane with wide eyes, and she moved so quickly that the genome had to grab her to keep her from falling over the edge of the banister. “Really!? But you were so goo-goo over her the whole time!”

“Sure, I liked how she looked, but it wasn't until a long time passed that I really began to realize how much she meant to me.” He lusted for her long before he began to love her, “The point is, Eiko, I think it might take a while, but you'll find someone you care for, and it might not happen immediately, but you'll meet some great friends. ...You're not alone, Eiko. You never were.”

The little girl let out a despondent sigh and dropped her eyes, her face downcast. “I know that, a little. I just...”

“Well, think about this,” Zidane said, leaning back to hop back onto the balcony. He turned to face Eiko, who held out her arms so he could help her down. “Can't you summon Carbuncle or Madeen? They're your best friends, right?”

Eiko humphed, crossing her arms and pouting in thought. “We're really not supposed to summon Eidolons without a good reason, like we're protecting ourselves.” She crossed her arms, looking more thoughtful than Zidane had seen her in a long time. She carefully considered each pro and con, but eventually, she spoke up in a small voice, “...but I miss Mog so much. I wonder how she'll feel if I just wanted to talk.”

The genome shrugged nonchalantly, as he was wont to do. “It couldn't hurt. You know, just between you and me, but when I'm still groggy and waking up, sometimes I hear Dagger talking to someone. I used to think she was planning out her day, but I realized later that she was talking to Ramuh. She's always worried about how she'll rule Alexandria that she's been asking him for advice. Whether or not he's giving her advice or just listening, I'm not sure. But Eiko, you and Dagger are the last of your tribe. Maybe it's time that you two consider what you might need some new rules, you know?”

Eiko's face was unreadable, but she pulled Mog's ribbon from the pocket she kept it in and clutched it close. Her eyes got a faraway look to them as she considered Zidane's words. “...I just don't want to make a mistake, like my people did with Leviathan and Alexander.”

“Well, take some time and consider it. You got time. We all got time.” Zidane reached his hand out, offering his arm for the princess. “Now then, I do believe it's time for dinner. Shall I escort you to your table, my lady?”

Eiko slapped his arm away with a howling laugh, “Ugh, you sound like Scott, you dork!” ...But then she reached out and took it with a giggle, “But if anyone can act like a dork like Scott, it's someone as cute as you, Zidane.”

...He'd take that as a compliment.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of trouble with this. Lots of other things going on, and me trying to figure out how to write things... it was pretty difficult, so if there's anything that seems off, then please don't hesitate to point it out!
> 
> Some slightly important things: Judge Noah is indeed a Final Fantasy character, and he's not the FF3 Sage Noah dude either! He's a reference to a judge character in an FF where judges were important. He also appeared in Dissidia! Bet that narrows it down a bit, huh? ;D
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this bit. The next time is going to get into knitty-gritty boring trial stuff, so please bear with me until the end! <3


	12. The Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial has finally arrived, and every prepares for the beginning of the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to finish this as soon as possible; it's the part I felt I was least capable of doing, so getting it out of the way and letting people look at it to hopefully help give some ideas on how to make it better would be good. Plus afterwards we can get back to my real favorite characters in FF9. :V
> 
> Also yes, I did write an entire section through Breireicht's point of view and yes, I did misspell his name many, many times and I feel like I deserve a medal for the stupidity I was *forced* to go through to finish this. You're welcome. (Also if I missed any misspellings of his name or anything else, I'd be happy to hear them!)
> 
> Lastly, I was unsure how to make the flashback work. I wanted to have it be like, we get to see the details that had happened, while Breireicht gives a much more truncated version of the events. I dunno if that got through well enough, so if anyone has any ideas on how to improve it, or much of anything, I'm all ears. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this!

The next morning was very tense: everyone was up early and preparing themselves as much as they could, but they were so focused on the task at hand that they didn't say much to each other. Jasmine was ensuring that every hair and thread was in place for Beatrix to look as unassuming and gentle as possible, and Zidane watched Dojebon help Breireicht into his suit, foregoing his usual Pluto Knight uniform. It was the first time the genome saw him out of his armor, and it looked like a business suit that one might see from a noble in Treno. While it fit him perfectly, it lacked the fabric and golden flax thread embroidery that a real noble would be able to afford, and thus he looked like a peasant just playing at nobility. Regardless... “That's a nice suit. I suppose I was expecting you to be wearing your uniform, but that works too.”

Breireicht smiled as he worked his cravat. "Thanks, Sir- Er, Zidane. My wife and daughter worked together to make it for me. It's the best birthday present a man could ask for, I think.”

“Definitely!” It certainly fit better than the “one-size-fits-all” suits that he wore when he was in Tantalus and conning some young idiot out of all of his money. “You're looking a lot more like a lawyer than a knight, and that's what we need right now!”

Dojebon hopped up as Breireicht finished buttoning up his sleeves. “Besides, General Beatrix has got Jasmine and I to take care of her, isn't that right?” Pluto Knight V asked, glancing at Jasmine with a wink.

Jasmine rolled her eyes, looking away and crossing her arms. “Don't even bother, she only needs me to protect her. Just hang back like you usually do.”

“Aww, I know you wanna spare me from having to do too much work, but you don't need to worry, I'm happy to help out!” Dojebon said, his face nearly splitting in two from his grin.

Jasmine hunched her shoulders and grumbled, “Oh  _joy_ .”

“Now now, we're all in this together,” Zidane said with a helpless shrug, “All of us are working to help Beatrix, so we shouldn't be arguing with each other. Besides, the last thing we want to show Judge Noah is how angry and resentful all of us are.”

Beatrix smiled at Zidane as Jasmine let out a deep breath and sighed, nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Let's just... let's get this over with.”

Over with. Zidane wouldn't necessarily have used those words, especially with the way the trial could go, but he would be lying if he said he didn't want to just finish this as soon as possible. As the group waited for the Lindblum guards to pick them up, Breireicht took a step forward and coughed softly, causing Zidane to turn to him. Pluto Knight VI gestured back to the desk and looked back at the genome. “I noticed that someone had been messing with the pen and paper while I was asleep last night. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Zidane blinked before turning back to the desk. He thought he had taken better care of putting things back where they were, but he supposed Breireicht had a good eye for detail, “It's nothing, really. I just wrote a letter for Dagger, so she wouldn't worry.” He remembered that night before he left for Lindblum, when Garnet had been so worried about him leaving that she was beginning to cry. He wanted to keep in touch as much as possible, to keep her from worrying. In retrospect, he probably should have added an addendum about Beatrix's and Steiner's kid, but it would be better to wait until the outcome of the trial.

Speaking of the trial, the door opened at that moment, and everyone froze as three guards entered the room. Everyone was on high alert as the men stepped forward and the leader held out his hand. “We shall escort you, Lady Beatrix.”

“Can we come with you!?” Dojebon asked, hopping forward to offer his services. Jasmine, thankfully, dragged him back before he looked like he was assaulting people.

She looked up at the guards who watched Pluto Knight V suspiciously, “We're her personal guard. Please, at least let us walk her to the courtroom. If you prefer, we'll stay in the audience afterwards.”

Dojebon pointed to Jasmine as if to say “Yeah, what she said!” and gave a huge, toothy grin. The men looked to their leader, who let out a groan and waved his hand dismissively. “Whatever, they haven't started anything yet...”

A small voice from the guard on the left: “...Yet, Sir.”

“...and I _highly doubt_ it was all a ploy to start trouble _now_ ,” he continued, turning around and tromping off in disgust. “Just cuff her and let's go.”

The Alexandrian guards looked to Zidane, who shrugged in confusion and urged them to go on, “Breireicht and I'll join you soon. Go ahead.”

“Great, I'm stuck with _this_ epitome of knightly honor,” Jasmine muttered, shaking Dojebon a bit before dragging him off. He gave Breireicht and Zidane a thumbs up and turned to follow Jasmine off.

The genome let out a deep breath and turned to Breireicht. “We good?”

“As good as we'll be,” Pluto Knight VI replied, clutching his folder to him. His face was scrunched up enough to show that he was nervous, and it was obvious, he was protecting the honor of not only an Alexandrian hero, but the loved one of the man he followed as his captain.

Zidane took a deep breath, one that Breireicht copied, and the genome smiled, trying out his newfound job as  his people's  “Heart”, “You'll do fine, Number VI. We've got your back.” In spirit, of course, but there wasn't much anyone could do about that.

Breireicht let out a chuckle as they walked out of the room. “I'm more than forty years older than you.  _I_ should be the one giving you lighthearted advice.”

The genome let out a laugh and moved with a skip in his step.  “Hey man, everyone needs help sometimes!” Zidane knew that better than ever on this trip.

\---

Zidane and Breireicht arrived at the courtroom a little early, although there were already Lindblum and Burmecian men and women who arrived to see the trial, and when they spotted the knight's Alexandrian suit, they got quite a few nasty stares. Zidane looked to make sure Breireicht wasn't letting it get to him, and saw that the knight was staring straight ahead, perhaps running his defense through his head.

He nearly dropped his papers when he heard a familiar voice call out to the two of them, “Now here's a face I didn't think I'd see.” Zidane turned and saw the dragon knight before them; Iron-Tail Fratley, dressed in a casual, breathable outfit common among Burmecians. “Breireicht, was it? It's nice to see you again,” the Burmecian said, reaching out in greeting. Pluto Knight VI shifted the file in his arms and reached back to shake the dragon knight's hand in response, and Fratley cocked his head as he looked between the two. “Wait a moment, you're Beatrix Red-Hair's defense? I'm so sorry.” He smiled as if he meant it as a joke, but Zidane wasn't so sure it was.

“Ahh, yes,” Breireicht replied, his surprise returning to professionalism once the conversation returned to small-talk, “I couldn't very well leave it be when my captain is suffering. I just pray Judge Noah understands where we Alexandrians are coming from.” He coughed when a Lindblumian shoved on his shoulder from behind, and everyone turned to watch him sneer at the Alexandrian as he walked into the courtroom. Pluto Knight VI opened his mouth, thought against calling out to his assaulter, and instead turned back to Fratley with a pained smile. “...and the rest of Lindblum and Burmecia, as well...!”

“So wait, where's Freya?” Zidane asked, crossing his arms and biting the inside of his mouth in thought, “I bet she wouldn't have wanted to miss this.”

“Indeed, she's disappointed that she wasn't able to make it, which is why she sent me instead.” Fratley made a face that Zidane wasn't sure was disappointment, but he bet wasn't that far from the truth; hanging out with Freya taught him a lot about Burmecian expressions that most foreigners didn't get. “I would have preferred if I could stay at home, but Freya is working on helping an adventurous geomancer join you Alexandrians in Zamo Basin. I'm unsure when Raine will arrive, but the townspeople will be happy to have her, I assume.”

Zidane noted the face that Fratley wore, and he glanced at Breireicht. This was the opposition he was up against; no one in that courtroom would listen to a word he said. Except, possibly, Judge Noah.

_Oh man, please let this judge be receptive..._

\---

The courtroom was practically full in only an hour, and  Breireicht tried not to let the hissing in the seats behind him make him worry. He glanced back at the Alexandrians in the seats near the front; Zidane was next to Dojebon, who was seated by Jasmine, and the genome was rubbing his hands together and trying not to make his tail fidget in agitation. He turned back to look at Beatrix, who was still quiet the whole time. In fact, she had decided to close her eyes, and the Pluto Knight wondered if she was trying to block out everything. “General, are you here with me?”

“I'm here,” she replied, although she seemed distant, as if she weren't speaking directly to him. Her eyes were still closed too; she seemed to be meditating.

“Okay, just... sit tight, I suppose.” Breireicht winced at the term. He hadn't meant for it to refer to her handcuffs... He felt alone, despite Zidane's words on the contrary, and for a moment he wondered why he even took this job.

...Ahhh, he loved Alexandria, and his captain, too much to say no.

Finally, the knight turned to look at the prosecutor's seat, where a smug looking man of high status (judging by his over-the-top hat) lounged peacefully and twiddled his white gloved thumbs.

It was at that moment that the guards announced the arrival of Judge Noah, and Brereicht immediately stood up along with the rest of the room. Pluto Knight VI's blood ran cold when he saw the giant, imposing man tromp into the room. His blonde hair was cut short, and his steely gaze was like a hawk's. However, the most fearsome thing about him was that he was built like a wall. Breireicht remembered that his twin brother was a guard, but to think that a judge would look so strong...? He seemed a perfect blend of muscle and brain. ...At least, he hoped that, as a judge, his mind was sharp as well. Breireicht suddenly noticed that his knees were trembling as the mighty judge took his seat, and the knight practically fell into his own chair.

“Very well then,” Noah said in a low rumble that somehow seemed to fill the room. Every word he spoke exuded charisma and authority, and it was no wonder why he had taken this job. The judge took a moment to peruse the case file, as if he hadn't already done so outside of the trial previously. “We shall begin the trial for Lady Beatrix of Alexandria, the so called 'Butcher of Burmecia'.” He glanced up at the lounging man on the other side of Breireicht. “Prosecutor Richardson, do you have any opening words?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” the prosecutor said immediately, rising up and glancing around the room with a flourish before returning to Noah, “This trial shouldn't even have happened. We all know the woman's guilty. Let's just finish it and be done.”

“Is he serious!?” Breireicht heard Dojebon hiss, and Pluto Knight VI froze, praying that the judge didn't hear his quiet outburst. “After all the work Breireicht went through!?”

Luckily, Beatrix's defense heard  Jasmine  grab him and keep him from speaking another word, and Richardson sat down with a smile as Noah murmured something thoughtfully. He then looked up at Breireicht, and the knight froze in fear. “Very well then. Sir Breireicht of Alexandria.  What of your words ?”

“Ah, yes, Your Honor!” Pluto Knight VI said quickly, rising a little fast and wiping his jacket of nonexistent dust particles before coughing into his hand, running his hand through his hair and taking a deep breath. “Alexandria would like to formally apologize for all of its crimes against Lindblum, Burmecia, and Cleyra. We have all been harmed during these past few generations, and we wish only to remain focused on making things right.”

“What do you think you should do about it!?” A Lindblumian shouted from behind, exasperated.

Judge Noah let out a hacking cough that silenced the entire room. He didn't even need a gavel to command authority, and Breireicht sat down in his chair, running a handkerchief along his forehead as the judge began to speak. “We shall see exactly what that entails. Richardson, your witness.”

The prosecutor's witness was a Burmecian woman named Lyra, who seemed skittish about even speaking up on the podium. The prosecutor gave her a few soothing words with a smile. “Please, Ms. Lyra, speak without fear, for there is no one who can harm you for speaking the truth.” He turned to glance pointedly at Beatrix,  who sat in silence , and he turned back to her, “You will be safe, that I guarantee.”

Lyra nodded and rested her trembling hands on the podium.  “I -I was there, the day Alexandria attacked, the day the black mage monsters burned my mother alive and shattered my frozen father,” Lyra began, clutching the podium as she recalled the horror. “ And there, among the army of pointy-hatted devils, was that woman, Beatrix of Alexandria!” She pointed at the general, who kept her eyes closed and didn't even flinch, and Lyra began to weep as she cried out, “She cut down the guards of the palace on her way to assassinate our Great King  Francis of Burmecia, May His Reign be Long and Prosperous!”

Every Burmecian lowered their head and sent a prayer as well, and Richardson nodded,  turning back to smile at Breireicht. Pluto Knight VI tried not to let his frown be too apparent as Richardson turned back to Lyra with a pitying smile . “ I am sorry you had to recall such a horrendous account, Ms. Lyra.  You have helped us tremendously and may go now. ”

Breireicht  suddenly snapped his head up with a gasp, and he scrambled to stand. “Excuse me, I'm sorry, but uhm, objection...? Y-you're just going to let her go!?” He turned to plead with the Judge Noah. “Don't I get to question the witness as well?”

All eyes were on the defense as Richardson blinked, his frown apparent. “What could you possibly ask that would help your case?”

“Richardson,” Noah curtly snorted, turning to him. The prosecutor froze, his smug expression melting into fear. “Stand down. If we want everyone to accept this trial, we must do things by the book.” Richardson opened his mouth, thought better of it, and nodded stiffly before moving to sit at his chair. Satisfied that he wouldn't be interrupted, Breireicht moved to stand up and step towards the Burmecian. She began to tremble again when he approached, which paused his advance.

The Pluto Knight's heart went out to the woman; he could hardly imagine leaving his own daughter alone in this world, and he could think of nothing else to do but to apologize. “Ms. Lyra, I am so sorry for asking you to continue this. No one should have to experience such a terrible tragedy,” he began. Lyra glared at him, and Breireicht felt his words turn to ash in his mouth. He hated feeling like he was harming a woman like this, but he had to continue, for Beatrix's sake, “However, I must ask you a very important question. You saw General Beatrix in Alexandria fighting with the Burmecian guards in the palace. Tell me, how many civilians did she cut down?”

There was silence, and Lyra tilted her head, as if she didn't understand the question. “Excuse me?”

“That woman, right over there,” Breireicht pointed at Beatrix, whose eyes were still closed as she meditated on the words being spoken, “How many civilians did you see her kill? People who were fleeing in fear? How many innocent, unarmed people did she attack?”

Lyra opened her mouth, but she stopped herself, tapping the side of her cheek in thought, and she looked up with wide, surprised eyes. “N-no one. She didn't harm anyone who was unarmed, nor fleeing...”

“Then, Ms. Lyra, would you say that there is a good chance that General Beatrix was only doing her job as a royal guard, protecting her queen from an army of her enemies?”

“Objection!” Richardson shouted, standing, “That's speculation! Just because Ms. Lyra didn't see the general murder the good people of Burmecia doesn't mean she didn't do it at some other point during the events!”

“Objection overruled,” Noah growled, pointing at the prosecutor, “You had plenty of time to find a person who had the evidence you needed. As it stands, it's speculation that the general was not merely doing her job as a knight of Alexandria.” Breireicht let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. He immediately sucked in another breath as the judge continued, “Be that as it may, the general was clearly there, assisting Queen Brahne in sending an army to massacre thousands of Burmecians.” He turned slowly to smile softly at the still trembling woman, and he inclined his head. “Your words have helped us tremendously, Ms. Lyra. Please, go back to your home.”

Lyra nodded softly and rose to leave, and Breireicht let out another sigh as he moved to sit in his chair. He glanced at Beatrix, who hadn't moved since the trial started, and he opened his files again, searching for something, anything, to finish this with her life.

He looked up when Richardson rose to give his final address, “I think that everyone in this room can see that Beatrix of Alexandria is a murderer who, despite being honorable in combat, still allowed her queen to slaughter thousands of Burmecians with her black mage puppet army, as well as destroy the land and people of Cleyra and Lindblum through use of her then-princess's Eidolons.” Richardson turned to look at the defense, and the gears in Breireicht's head began to turn furiously. What was that about Queen Brahne...? “The judgment is clear, and I know you, Your Honor, will find the answer to this frankly obvious riddle.”

Richardson sat down smugly, practically leaning nonchalantly in his chair, and he glanced at Breireicht. The floor was his, so the Alexandrian knight slowly stood and let out a cough. He really, really hoped that this would work. “Your Honor. I don't... have much of a witness to help my case, but I do have a story.”

“A story!?” Richardson cried, whirling to stare at the knight, “What does that have to do with Burmecia!?”

Breireicht ignored the prosecutor (who was cut off by a glare from the judge), and entreated Judge Noah personally. “I swear, Your Honor, everything will become clear once it is told. Please, allow me to speak.”

The judge took a deep breath through his nose, considering the defense's words, and he placed his folded hands on his podium. “This trial would be too short without Sir Breireicht's words,” he said, his tone, for once, playful.  His features played with a smile as he nodded at the Pluto Knight . “Say your piece, Sir Knight. I shall judge if it pertains to this trial.” At the end of his sentence, his voice dipped into a threatening tone, and Breireicht realized what the punishment might be if it didn't.

Nevertheless, Breireicht sucked in a breath; he had made it this far, and he couldn't  give up now. “Your Honor, this story begins  thirty years ago,  1771, in the City of Alexandria. At that point, Alexandrians never knighted men, and instead I served as an engineer at the walls of the city when the Burmecian army attacked in a preemptive strike against our people...” As he continued his tale, he worked to remember that horrible day as best he could.

 

_A young Breireicht was nudged by his best friend, Hubert, and the two glanced over at the Alexandrian guards at the gate as the men worked on repairing the masonry around the city walls. “So, which one do you want? Let's ask 'em out after we're done here.”_

“ _Are you kidding?” Breireicht asked, snorting at his friend, “They're going to be working by the time we're done.”_

“ _Not if we conveniently finish when their shift's up,” Hubert said, waggling his eyebrows. “It'll be 'Destiny'! You really gotta learn how this stuff works, my man.” Hubert snorted as Breireicht blinked into the sky. He reached out to shove on his spacey best friend softly, and he crowed, “Hello? Gaia to Breireicht! Are you even listening to me?”_

“ _What's that, in the air? What's that...!?” Breireicht shouted, pointing up at the sky. His shout got the attention of the women, and then they turned to the sky, just in time for one of them to be impaled on the lance of a Burmecian dragon knight who had just dropped from the sky._

“ _Odin's Beard!” Hubert shouted as the other guard drew her sword to smite the dragon knight who had slain her partner. She didn't even consider the idea that there was another who had his lance trained right on her, and both Hubert and Breireicht watched in abject horror as the other guard was hit so hard she ended up attached to the wall the men had been working on, and she writhed like a bug stuck on a stick, screaming up blood before she fell still._

_The first dragon knight heard Hubert's outburst, and when he flicked his lance from the first guard, the engineers saw as he turned to look at them, judge his landing point, and leap into the air._

“ _Breireicht, bro! Get down!!” Hubert shouted, jumping forward and grabbing his friend. The young man felt the air leave his lungs as he slammed into the ground, and it took a moment for him to get air back into them. It was just in time to watch as the dragon knight landed, skewering Hubert like a stuck pig. The tip of the lance barely missed Breireicht's kidney, but the force of the landing_ _broke a couple of his ribs_ _and caused him to scream in pain alongside his friend. The two men were lying there, facing each other, and Breireicht watched_ _Hubert move his mouth silently, just before the light faded from his eyes. The young engineer trembled, tears springing to his eyes, but the moment the Burmecian wrenched the lance from his deceased friend, he remembered the predicament he was in._

_He stopped moving, playing dead as the dragon knights reconvened and spoke to each other, and then he heard the gut wrenching sound of more dragon knights, leaping into the city from above, for the sky was their home, and Alexandria's anti-air artillery was lacking at that point in time. The young engineer listened and waited as he heard the screams of his people being murdered around him._

_Finally, when he thought he might be safe, he whimpered as he pushed Hubert's cooling body from his chest, and he worked through the pain, struggling to crawl. For a moment, he feared that one of his ribs might have punctured his lung or heart, but it was only his ribs that were in pain, and he seemed to be able to breathe._

_He took his working hammer and worked his way to his feet, fighting to keep from puking up his lunch and passing out from the pain, but he couldn't just leave the people alone. If he could find a way to save some people, he would do it._

_He heard the scream of a small child, and he peered into the square that housed General Magdalene's statue. Most of the other dragon knights had moved on towards the castle after removing any resistance, but there was one who had stayed behind to keep the rearguard safe. There were plenty of soldiers who were just doing their job in this horrible war, but no, this monster just liked hearing people scream. Breireicht watched helplessly as the dragon knight ripped his lance from a woman's chest, and her child wailed for his mother to wake up._

_The engineer burned with rage as the dragon knight turned on the boy, ready to strike him down, and Breireicht charged. All of the pain was gone, forgotten in favor of saving the little child. He was an engineer, he knew exactly where the best place to strike a helmeted Burmecian was. There, where his ears peeked out, was a chink near the Burmecian's temple._

_The child was crying so loud that the dragon knight didn't even hear the exertions of the engineer, and with one swift strike, the man struck true, slamming his hammer into the weak point of the knight's helmet. With a sickening thud, the Burmecian dropped instantly, blood trickling from his tiny snout. The child looked up at the engineer, who grasped at his hardhat and tried not to pass out on top of his victim. The pain had already returned, but the adrenaline kept him alert just enough to keep from passing out._

_The engineer slowly turned to the boy, whose wide eyes were filled with tears, and the child continued to sob, hiccuping as he said, “I-I don't know where Papa is, and Mama... Mama...!”_

_Breireicht felt like he was going to throw up his entire stomach, and there was nothing he wanted to do more than to flop to the floor and pass out. Instead, he managed to place a hand on the boy's shoulder and usher him onward. “L-let's go hide... We'll get you to your family soon.”_

_The boy almost didn't move, but he looked up at Breireicht with all the awe and fear a boy could have, and together, they snuck off to hide until the battle was over._

 

“...The attack on Alexandria by the Burmecian dragon knights was unprecedented and savage,” Breireicht continued resolutely, his usual soft face was mute and stony, “Prince Consort Nathan even left the castle to sue for peace, but the knights of Burmecia brutally impaled him in the side. If it weren't for Regent Cid VIII's intervention with his Mist-powered airships, we would have lost our beloved prince that very day, rather than twenty years later.” Pluto Knight VI let out a soft sigh, remembering the day that Nathan collapsed in the gardens, his wounds catching up with him. “All his family could do was watch as their loved one bled out internally from the wounds inflicted that day. He was killed by the Burmecian army during that deadly, barbarous attack.” He looked up at Judge Noah and shook his head, fighting the tears that accompanied the memories he still had. “Prince Consort Nathan's death was just prolonged until that time.”

The courtroom was silent; not one person wanted to shout or even deny the claims, for even they knew their own history, and the preemptive strike against Alexandria. Even Judge Noah was deep in thought about the story he had just heard, so Pluto Knight VI continued unabated. “When Queen Brahne told us that she had reports that the Burmecian country would attack again, that we were to gather our resources and land a decisive first strike, who were we to deny that her words were false? It had happened before, and we were certain it would happen again. Our Queen Brahne was a good woman before the corruption of Mist seeped into her from that monster, Kuja. She helped establish peace between Alexandria and Lindblum. All she wanted was for everyone to live in peace with their families. How could any one of us even conceive that she had changed over the years? We followed her, all Alexandrians, because we believed in her. We believed in her because the Burmecians never gave us cause to doubt her.”

The Pluto Knight pointed to Beatrix, his brows knitted, “Your Honor, if you condemn this woman to death for the crime of wishing to defend Alexandria from a people who murdered us without remorse...” and then he pointed to himself, his eyes alight with fire, “then you will have to condemn me, as well, and all those who wish to protect their homes from villains.” He took a deep, shaky breath, suddenly self-conscious about his intense behavior, and he returned to his seat, grabbing at his collar to vent the heat. “Th-that is all. Thank you, Your Honor, for your time.”

There was utter silence, and Breireicht immediately started sweating, knowing that everyone's befuddled eyes were on him. He heard Zidane lean over towards Dojebon and whisper, “Was he always this fiery? Hope I'm that crazy in seven hundred years.”

“Is he really that old!?” Pluto Knight V asked in bewilderment.

Finally, it was Judge Noah who broke the rest of the silence, his face completely devoid of emotion. “Sir Breireicht, your words ring true; our three great countries have been locked in everlasting war for hundreds of years, and during that time, there was no end in sight. There was no doubt that we as a people have been fighting more for revenge than any other reason, and without the Mist to kindle our desire for war, we are hoping to find a way to abandon these fruitless deaths.”

Pluto Knight VI had to remind himself that judges tended to continue their thoughts with a “however”, in order to show their impartiality, and Breireicht deflated when Noah did just that. “However, we must also remember that despite the fact that our knights were simply doing their jobs over that time, and that it was the corruption of Mist that spurred our forefathers on, the fact of the matter is that Beatrix of Alexandria was in a position of power; she was below only Queen Brahne in political strength, and yet she did _nothing_ to stop the senseless slaughter of innocent people.”

Breireicht almost wanted to speak up, to say that Beatrix had done what she could to stop Brahne when she discovered her queen's evil ways, and yet he had already finished his closing statement, and he had to sit back and remain quiet. He had failed, he had messed up his defense, and now Beatrix would pay the price. It took all of his willpower not to bury his face in his hands...

...And then, a miracle occurred. “However,” Noah continued, and Breireicht's heart hammered in his chest, “the fact does remain that Alexandria had no reason to doubt the intent of their queen. Burmecia had attacked them in their capital before. With these thoughts in mind, I am ready to make my judgment.”

He looked to Beatrix, who opened her eyes and rose in reverence alongside Breireicht as Judge Noah placed his hands on the podium. “Beatrix of Alexandria, you are hereby judged guilty of inaction against the murder of thousands of Burmecians and Cleyrans, and the name General Beatrix shall be buried for all time.”

There was a moment that the Alexandrians' blood went chill as ice, but then the judge said the most peculiar thing, “In her place shall rise a woman with no pride nor status. Beatrix, you will never hold office ever again, and your name shall be recorded in history as a bloody monster. You shall live a pariah and die as one in the lands of Lindblum, Burmecia, and, if Queen Garnet Til Alexandros XVII is true to her word, in Alexandria as well.” Noah said everything so nonchalantly, so normally, that it was hard for the courtroom audience to keep their mouths from dropping open. The judge reached out, took his gavel, and brought it down with a resounding crack, a dull sound that sent a wad of bile into the pit of Beatrix the Pariah's stomach, and her fate was sealed with a tone of finality. “That is all. Court is adjourned.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this whole time all I wanted to say was "don't worry I'm not going to start murdering all of the characters, this story is more cute and heartwarming than not!" but I didn't want to play my hand because that's not fair to people who really do enjoy considering which way a person can go. So I finally got to get this off my chest and we can all move on with our lives. :V
> 
> I am unsure how trials work and I mostly just borrowed heavily from media, so it's really unrealistic, I know. On the other hand, I also know that Lindblum trials could be different from IRL trials so that's what I'm going with. On the other hand, I really feel like I spent too little time on it, and it felt like it went too fast. What do you guys think? Once again, I really feel like these kind of things are the opposite of my forte, so even if you want to point out something that irked you or you felt rubbed you the wrong way, pointing out specific parts may help me discover what is working and what isn't.
> 
> Now let's get back to Alexandria and figure out what we're going to do with a pariah! :V


	13. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet receives word from Lindblum, and Beatrix returns to Alexandria with her "entourage". Is everything alright? Can everyone find some way to return to their normal lives?

Queen Garnet til Alexandros XVII slumped in her throne, not feeling in the mood to hold court. Her heart was in the pit of her stomach, worrying about Beatrix more than she could handle. She hadn't even seen Steiner: Laudo had announced that Weimar had basically ordered the captain to take the next few days off, at least until the Alexandrians got word of Beatrix's fate. “And perhaps even more, if it comes to that,” the writer said with a worried swallow.

Garnet could hardly handle the suspense, and she was beginning to feel ill. She almost was jealous: at least Steiner could take a few days off when he was sick from worry, but she couldn't just lie in bed. At least, Doctor Tot had tried to get her to do so, but she couldn't bear not to at least hold court for a few hours, just in case.

The tiny man smoothed his whiskers as the queen whimpered and grasped at the letter on her chest. She had already read it twenty times, but twenty-one didn't seem so bad. She unfolded the paper and her heart soared when she read her name in his (admittedly rough) handwriting:

“ _Hey Dagger!_

_We've been doing well, no problems happening. I talked with Breireicht, the guy's super into everything going on here. He's a smart dude, I think Steiner made the right choice with making him the defense._

_We're going to do our best for Beatrix, and Cid's on our side as well. The judge was the best he could find, or at least the most impartial, apparently. I'm feeling a little confident, if I have to say. I hope I can give you even better news tomorrow._

_I'll see you soon. I can't wait to see you again.”_

Garnet melted once again for the twenty-first time that day, enough that Doctor Tot looked up from his clipboard and waggled his whiskers. “Your Majesty, are you sure you're up for this? You're not even listening to the assessments. Dali has had a drought this year, and food will be a lot more scarce. There is also the...” The good doctor sighed; Garnet was poring over the letter yet again, ignoring everything he was saying. “Your Majesty, please...” he pled softly.

Someone knocked on the door to Garnet's throne room, and Lieutenant General Gina walked in unannounced, her boots clacking on the floor. The sound was sharp enough to snap Garnet from her reverie, and she looked up as the woman saluted. “Your Majesty, I have a few reports that you should look over.” She looked up at Garnet, who was trying to un-slump herself and hide the letter, and Gina let out an exasperated breath. “Your Majesty, you do realize that you have more important things to worry about?” she asked, holding up the file she held as if to make a point.

Garnet didn't like the lieutenant general's tone. Beatrix was allowed to snark at her because they were best friends, but Gina was a simple soldier, nothing more, and it raised her heckles that Gina would be so informal with her. “I know exactly what is important to this kingdom and what isn't, _lieutenant general_ , and I do not need _you_ to remind me of them!” She glared at the soldier and held out her hand, “Give me the reports, and begone from my sight!”

Doctor Tot said nothing, but watched both women with an eagle eye as the lieutenant general clacked up to the throne and humbly offered the file to her liege. Garnet dismissed her with a flippant wave, and Gina bowed before stalking quickly from the room.

Doctor Tot pushed his glasses up his large nose as Garnet let out a frustrated growl and flipped open the file. The soldiers were having trouble concentrating during their training sessions, and the queen scoffed. “Of course they are! They're worried about their general!” Just like _she_ was. She had half a mind to throw the entire file in a fit of rage, but calmed down enough to continue perusing them as her adviser shuffled on his feet awkwardly. It took the queen a moment to realize that the doctor was afraid to speak up around her sharp attitude, and it was with a guilty sigh that she turned to her mentor. “I'm sorry, Doctor Tot. I'm just... preoccupied. I would like it if you spoke plainly.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Doctor Tot said as Garnet flipped to another page with a huff, “You have been under a lot of stress, and I wish you would take a day or two off to come to terms with everything.”

“Come to terms with what?” The queen asked in bemusement, looking up from the file with an expressionless blink.

“With the fact that you have sent off your good friend to die.” Doctor Tot's blunt words caused Garnet's blood to run cold, and the elderly man let out a paternal sigh as Garnet slumped once more and lowered her gaze. “Not many have to go through such stress; not even Sir Steiner could claim to say the same.” If it came to that, at least Steiner could blame someone other than himself. The entire kingdom could point their finger at Garnet. She would only be able to blame herself, and Doctor Tot was right: it was killing her, deep down.

“I...” she closed the file and reached for her kerchief, for she already felt the tears coming on, “I wanted to say 'no'. I really did, but Beatrix said she deserved it, and I...” Garnet shook her head and squared her shoulders. “No, you're right. I could have denied the request despite Beatrix's desires. I was the one who chose this; _I_ was the one who abandoned her.” And that stabbed her more than the threat of Beatrix's death. The tears were hot in her eyes as she dabbed at them, hoping to keep her makeup from running. “I just wish Zidane were here.”

Doctor Tot clucked his tongue, realizing the other problem that she was having. Zidane had gone on to protect Beatrix, and while Garnet gave him leave to do so, she had mostly done so to save face and attempt to keep from looking weak in the eyes of her subjects. What they didn't realize was just how much she relied on him. “He will be back soon,” her adviser said, hoping to assuage her sadness.

Garnet nodded, but she didn't look like she felt much better. It may be too late by then; she could hardly keep her mind focused enough as it was. “If Beatrix was hurt, however...”

“Your Majesty, I know that you have pushed my worries aside in the morning, but this cannot continue. Please, return to your chambers and rest for the night. I'm sure that we will receive word of Lady Beatrix's fate soo-”

As if on cue, Mosh flew into the room with a quick “kupo!” and held up a letter that made Garnet's heart soar once more. A part of her remembered that there was a chance the news wasn't good, but to hear anything from Zidane made her stand up and jog up to the table that Mosh was flying over. “Please, Mosh, give it to me!”

Doctor Tot gave a thoughtful hum as the queen tore open the envelope and read it as if it were the last written thing in the world:

“ _Hey Dagger_ ,

_We'll be back in Alexandria soon, and you can tell Steiner the good news before he gets an aneurysm. Beatrix is coming with us! Breireicht has everything you'll need to know about Judge Noah's ruling. I don't think she's going to be general after all of this, so be ready to figure out what you wanna do about that._

_We're going to be back soon, so go ahead and tell Steiner the news. I figure it'd be best to let him know ahead of time.”_

Garnet looked up suddenly, and she hitched up her dress before rushing from the room. Doctor Tot called after her, but she ignored his words, charging for the barracks as quickly as her high-heels would allow.

The guards were surprised to see their queen up and about, especially among the commoners, but she had the look of a woman on a mission, and they began to realize that meant news of Beatrix. Plenty of them wanted to hear news of their general, but their queen would not be deterred until she found Steiner in the Pluto Knight break room, actually listening to Laudo's newest idea for his novel. He would do anything to keep his mind off of the Lindblum trial, even listen to something as boring as a useless novel.

Pluto Knight IV stopped mid-sentence and looked up at Garnet, who stood in the doorway with a wild expression. She was backed by nearly a dozen female soldiers, and it all looked very worrisome. By the time Steiner looked up, he froze in horror, but Garnet reached out and took his hand. “She's safe, Steiner! She's coming home! She's coming back to us!”

The barracks erupted into raucous joy, and the entirety of Alexandria Castle celebrated long into the night.

* * *

Regent Cid allowed Beatrix to rest for the night as Breireicht was given the legal papers, as he was the only one who truly understood some manner of legalese in the group, and while the new pariah slept off her anxiety, Pluto Knight VI and Zidane took some time to peruse it while the genome wrote a letter telling the news to his lover. “From what I can gather, Judge Noah has decided to let Lady Beatrix live, but in exchange, the countries of Lindblum, Burmecia and Alexandria are to do whatever they wish with her, if they find her in their borders.”

“So, what, she's essentially a non-entity?” Zidane asked, furrowing his brow.

“Essentially she's not human, yes. Or at least, she doesn't possess any rights as a human being in Lindblum, according to Judge Noah's ruling. I don't think it'll take long for Burmecia to accept it as well.” Breireicht looked up from the notes, his expression somber. “If Queen Garnet were to have her continue her service as a general, I'm sure it would reflect poorly on her desire to bring peace to the Mist Continent.” ...He took a moment to frown in thought. “Perhaps we should find another name for that.”

“And maybe the Forgotten Continent as well,” Zidane agreed with an impish smile. “So what's your take on the ruling? You have any idea of what Garnet should do?”

“I should not even hope to assume the best course of action for our beloved Queen Garnet,” Breireicht said humbly, perhaps only out of respect for the royalty of his home, but when Zidane cocked an eyebrow, the Pluto Knight elaborated. “ _But_ , if I were to make a decision by my less-than-illustrious self, then I would perhaps send her away from the castle, where she could find a place in Alexandria to live out her days in relative peace. It wouldn't do to have a zombie as our general.”

Zidane let out a laughing grunt, that impish smile returning. “To be fair, the group didn't have much trouble letting me lead when I was afflicted with zombism.” He tried to chuckle at his joke, but Breireicht's solemn, pained expression stopped him, and the genome realized what the problem was with the Pluto Knight's solution. “Oh, right, what about Steiner, huh?” How could a knight captain live his life with a woman who was banished from the castle he swore to protect?

Breireicht didn't answer the young man's question, and instead stood up with his patented “old-man groan”. He placed a hand on Zidane's shoulder, squeezed it, and released him. “...I'm so tired. I think... I'm going to go rest. I'll see you tomorrow.”

Zidane continued to stare at the chair that Breireicht left behind, the gears in his mind going into overdrive as he considered how he would relay this to his friends, and what their decisions would eventually be concerning the trial's ruling.

...Zidane leaned forward and scrubbed at his eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. What he wouldn't give for Garnet to be there, holding him tight and telling him everything would be okay...

* * *

The next morning started before the sun rose for the Alexandrians, and Regent Cid wanted them to be gone, just in case there were those even in the castle that were unhappy with Noah's decision. He brought the Alexandrians in with a great flair, even sending his own nephew and daughter because he couldn't be there himself. This time, he had them sent back on a freighter that looked more like food transport than a liner for a VIP. Luckily, the subtlety was just what everyone wanted: Jasmine was still on high alert, and Zidane's tail frizzed at every sound that seemed out of place. Everyone just wanted to be home as soon as possible, and they were happy to sit in the cargo hold and let out a sigh of relief. “We're going home...” Breireicht said through a sigh, as if he weren't sure he could believe it.

“You did it, Number VI!” Dojebon announced, “We did it! We all did it!” He jumped up from his sitting position and started doing several squats to get rid of his excess energy. “Man, the captain is going to be _stoked_!”

Beatrix looked around the hold, trying to keep the dread in her stomach from making her sick. Watching the other Alexandrians helped, as even Jasmine couldn't help but keep a smile on her face as she watched Dojebon grab a surprised Zidane and drag him around the hold, and the two danced as Breireicht clapped a rhythm. It was just that, what Dojebon said...

Steiner would be so happy, definitely. ...Until he got the news, perhaps. ...She couldn't help but wonder if Steiner could handle staying with a woman who could never have the status the significant other of a knight should have. Would it have been better if she died an Alexandrian hero, one that people could remember and love in memoriam? She decided to pretend she was meditating, as the others didn't bother her when she kept her eyes closed, and she really didn't want to talk to anyone else at this point.

When they had gone to Lindblum in the first place, they had left a little later in the day, and arrived just in time for dinner, but since they had left before the sun rose in the sky, they arrived in Alexandria a little after lunchtime. When the airship touched down, Dojebon nearly rushed out without anyone else, and it wasn't until Breireicht coughed loudly that he remembered to at least stay with the new (potentially) prince consort.

When Beatrix stood and walked out into the sun, with Jasmine still on her heels (it felt wrong, somehow, that she was still treating her as someone who deserved an iota of respect), she took a deep breath and looked out at her home, Alexandria, and she wiped at her eye, for she was crying uncontrollably. She reached up and held her hand over her face. She couldn't believe she was still alive to see her home again. At that moment, she couldn't be bothered to care about anyone else's feelings about whatever Judge Noah said. The relief washed over her, and she took a moment to simply cry.

The Pluto Knights stood with Zidane, who stretched himself out and shook out his tail, and Jasmine stared at the floor, unsure of what to do. The awkwardness was in the air, so it was the genome who had to call out to the group. “We're outside of the city itself, so let's at least head in. I don't think anyone's going to realize we're out here; we were kind of snuck out of the city, so we should...”

The young man was interrupted by an ominous clanking, out in the distance, and that cold dread, along with utter joy, washed over Beatrix as everyone looked up at the figure approaching them. She took a tentative step forward, making sure it wasn't just a different Pluto Knight (of course it wasn't, only Dojebon ran around like that, and he was right next to them), before she hitched up her petticoat and dashed forward. ...She wondered why people even wore dresses, how was she supposed to run into her lover's arms with such cumbersome clothes!?

All of that was forgotten, however, when the two practically collided, and hands grasped each other as if they hadn't seen each other for decades. Steiner smelled rank from running and sweating in his armor, and Beatrix knew in the back of her mind that it must have been because he ran here all the way from the city, and that was the most beautiful thing to her. She needed this, so much. She wanted to tell him, to tell him how much she loved him, but she couldn't say so around their kisses, and she let her actions speak for her once again.

Finally, however, they pulled themselves away, and Steiner clutched her cheeks and looked into her eye, and Beatrix felt sorry that she worried even for a moment that he would ever push her away. “I-I'm home,” she said breathlessly.

“Welcome home,” he replied immediately, kissing her again. She could taste the sweat on his lips, and she tried not to be turned on in public.

When they pulled away again, Beatrix immediately told him: “Steiner. I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant...!”

“That's great, Bea, I-” Steiner stopped, and his brow knit in confusion. His eyes dropped to her stomach before he looked back up at her eye, his face one of complete bewilderment. “...Is it mine?” he asked suddenly,

Now it was Beatrix's turn for her brow to furrow, in anger. “Is it _yours!?_ Whose do you _think_ it would be!?”

Steiner's eyes bulged and he sputtered, “N-no, I didn't mean to imply-! I meant, I can't even believe it! H-how? How!?”

“How do you _think_!?” Beatrix howled, her anger giving away to laughter as she slapped his arm. She continued to laugh at the absurdity of it all, all the way until the laughter finally gave way to tears once again, and she practically fell against the still-bewildered Steiner, leaning on him the way one might lean against a wall when they were tired. Steiner reached out to ask her what was wrong, that he was sorry for making her angry, and she waved off his fears by slapping at his Maximilian armor (the one he came back with after his excursions in Memoria). “I missed you... _so_ much. Gods, Bert, I just... I... I was so-”

Her words degenerated into even more sobs, and the captain instantly wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as she cried out every last one of her tears.

...There was no better feeling in the world.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was mostly just a palate cleanser, a way to come down from the high-tension of the previous chapters. I hope I did well enough to let that come through. I'm super happy though because I've wanted to use "ominous clanking" ever since I decided on the outcome of the trial, back like, what, 6 months ago? XD
> 
> How was Garnet, by the way? I wanted to try and make her own tension and worry come through, but I know that other times I have made it a little too much, I suppose. I didn't want to make her come off as petulant, although I also wanted to try and make it seem more like Steiner's worries about her acting less like a leader coming through. You know me, I love my foreshadowing!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this, and feedback is especially appreciated for this chapter. I feel like it's missing something, but I can't exactly put my finger on what it is, and I might have just sat on it for another month if I didn't just put it up and ask for any help. Thanks for all of your support, everyone!


	14. Simmie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet gives Zidane an appropriate welcome back "party", while Steiner considers where Beatrix can go until the queen decides what to do with the new pariah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a little bit of trouble, mostly because I've been playing other games with my friends. It's hard to write when watching a friend's favorite wrestling matches or enjoying streamers.

As the group began heading into the city proper, Breireicht explained what was going on with Judge Noah's decision regarding Beatrix. Steiner had been told about Zidane's letter, and he was curious about what that entailed. The pariah was quiet as Pluto Knight VI explained exactly what was going on, and she kept her eyes trained on the flowers, still worried about his reaction. Her fingers slowly moved to touch the back of her lover's gauntlet, and he responded by reaching out and grasping it securely. “And thus we are not sure what to do with the Lady Beatrix. As a pariah, she should not be allowed into the castle, nor should she rub elbows with the nobility.” Jasmine scoffed, and Breireicht continued. “We shall... have to see what Queen Garnet decides to do with her.”

Steiner squeezed Beatrix's hand, she turned to look into his eyes, and the two stood quietly as Zidane and Dojebon passed by them. They walked into the square in front of the castle gates, and the genome paused when he noticed Dagger and Garnet standing at the gate. He peered at Garnet, dressed in her beautiful outdoor gown and wearing a serious frown, and he noticed the way her hair curled at the end, instead of that straight waterfall of black...

...Whereas Dagger was wearing her usual orange leotard as well as the brightest smile he had ever seen her have, and the moment she began charging over to them, Zidane realized that Elizabeth was playing at Garnet, to give her cousin some time to be a normal woman. When Dagger slammed into him and wrapped her arms around his neck, she gave him a kiss on the lips and looked up drunkenly into his eyes. “Oh Zidane, Zidane!”

“Hey there, Dagger,” Zidane said, for once being able to say her traveling name and have it actually be the appropriate one at the time. He squeezed her back and nuzzled her temple affectionately. “Missed you too.”

“You brought her back, you brought her back!” Dagger reached out and grabbed Beatrix around her neck as well, and she drew both Zidane and Beatrix together, giggling like a schoolgirl. “You're back! You're all back!”

Elizabeth-as-Garnet took a few steps forward and nodded at Steiner, and when she glanced at Jasmine the guard instantly moved to watch the scene unfold. Just as Dagger squeezed her friends once again and pulled back, Breireicht coughed and took a step forward. “Hmm, Your Majesty,” he said, addressing Elizabeth as he was supposed to, “I have news about Judge Noah's ruling.”

All eyes were on him, especially Dagger's, as the Pluto Knight's announcement was more for her than her body-double. He cleared his throat and continued, “Lady Beatrix has been stripped of all rights as a human in Lindblum. She has lost any honor she once held, and I suspect this same ruling will be applied to Burmecia as well...”

Elizabeth looked at Dagger before turning back to Breireicht. “Are you suggesting that we remove her from the castle?” she asked softly. The Pluto Knight went quiet, and even Steiner and Beatrix turned to each other before dropping their gaze to the cobblestones. The entire group took on a somber air, and finally Elizabeth nodded, “I shall decide what to do later. Perhaps it would be best if Lady Beatrix spent the night in another location while I decide Alexandria's stance on the matter.”

Breireicht bowed and moved to stand with Dojebon near Zidane. As Pluto Knights, they should be protecting the prince consort, and it just so happened that the real queen was standing near him, so they got to play double duty. It was Jasmine who stayed with Elizabeth, and everyone looked expectantly at Steiner and Beatrix, no one quite sure what to say or do. It was Steiner, surprisingly enough, that coughed into his hand and spoke up first. “I have an idea, a place where she may stay.”

Beatrix turned to him, her expression quizzical, but Elizabeth nodded and continued, “Very well. We shall make arrangements tomorrow then. Come, we must return to the castle.” She then turned and proceeded onward, Dagger tugging Zidane along as the guards followed closely behind.

That left Steiner and Beatrix alone. The pariah still wasn't sure what to say, and she looked at her lover's gauntleted hand. She saw it reach out and take hers silently, and their eyes met once again. There was nothing they needed to say, they just needed each other. “Well then, shall we go?” Steiner asked, breaking the silence.

Beatrix nodded, finally finding her voice long enough to smile at her lover and say, “Lead the way.”

\---

The two walked together through the streets, and Beatrix found that people hardly noticed her presence, given her appearance. It was an alarming fact, as she was used to people giving her a wide berth in respect for her position. Now, the two had to basically use Steiner's wide gait to cut through the crowds as they moved, and she felt like a waif that needed to be led like a child. Or protected like a pariah...

She didn't say much as they walked, even though the pace wasn't exactly brisk. Beatrix wasn't really in the mood to talk, and the way her hand strayed to her belly showed just who she was worried for...

The pariah noticed where they were headed. It wasn't necessarily the mansions of the Treno nobility, but the Steiner family must be well off if they could afford a house like these. Most of them weren't even stores with studios built above them!

The Steiner “manse” was a three story building, with the first floor being a small, local general store. It seemed like Adelbert's family was in the merchant business, which made her wonder if he was ever at odds with his father about “leaving the family business”. When they finally arrived on the Steiner doorstep, they released each others' hands, and Beatrix smoothed out her petticoat as he knocked on the door. He sucked in a deep breath and turned ever so slightly towards his lover, “You'll like Simone. She's a little shy to strangers, but she likes to talk. Having a conversationalist will hopefully help you stay, you know...” He had trouble finding the right word, and gave up as the door unlocked and opened a crack.

The moment the woman noticed who was on the other side, she opened the door and raised her arms happily. “Brother!” she called, reaching out to hug Steiner. She barely reached around his arms, but she didn't let that bother her and squeezed him in his armor, “It's been so long, how have you been!?”

Steiner stammered out something about it being nice to see her too, but the moment his little sister (apparently?) laid eyes on Beatrix, her eyes lit up. “Ohhhhh! You brought your _girlfriend_! Ohhh, you must be General Beatrix! My name is Simone Steiner, but you can call me Simmie, if you want.”

“Thank you, uhm... Simone,” Beatrix began, feeling a lot like Steiner at this point in time, “But I'm not really a general anymore. Just Beatrix is fine.”

“OHHHHH, Or how about Bea!?” Simone asked. Steiner coughed and she watched him slice a hand across his neck, and she immediately changed her tune, “Trixie it is! Come in, come in, I was just making lunch! Oh, it's been a while since I had guests!”

“Adelbert not visiting as often as he should?” Beatrix asked Simone, ignoring her lover's exasperated groan as they walked inside the grocery store and past the counter. They walked into the back room and up the stairs to where the Steiner living quarters were, and as they walked, the pariah noted Simone's mannerisms. She wasn't as small as most Alexandrians, which made sense; she was practically as large as her rather giant brother, and the way she swayed her hips showed that she liked her figure just fine.

It was hard to tell Simone's exact age; she seemed to enjoy powdering her face, and her clothing was bright and eccentric, much different from Adelbert's subdued outfits (although the way he seemed to enjoy painting his eyelashes showed that they weren't completely different in  _every_ way), but from the way she acted, it wasn't hard to assume she was the younger sibling; older siblings tended to be a lot more serious.

The kitchen was spic and span, despite the fact that she had just been making lunch. It was just simple soup from yesterday, apparently, although now there wasn't enough for three people. “Not to worry!” Simone said as she began serving the soup in bowls, “I'll make some sandwiches too; that'll alleviate the problem!”

Beatrix thanked Simone as the younger Steiner began slicing off a bit from the shank of ham. The pariah turned to look up at Adelbert, who sighed again and sat down at the table, looking like he wasn't sure what to do as he stared at his bowl of soup. It was refreshing to see something so normal, her lover being flustered like he was. It made her realize that she was safe again, and that she didn't need to worry anymore. She was an honorless dog, but she had her life, and her love.

Simone turned and placed the sandwiches on the table before settling down next to her brother and his girlfriend, and she let out a relaxed breath. “Well then, let's eat, shall we?”

“Of course, thank you so much, Simone,” Beatrix replied. Adelbert let out an affirmative grunt, and the three began their lunch quietly, with only the chewing and slurping of their eating to accompany the awkward silence.

It was Simone who spoke first, and Beatrix wondered if Steiner even knew his sister that well; he had referred to her as shy, and yet here she was, jabbering like a jay. “Now I know you've been busy with rebuilding Alexandria; that's why I haven't been worrying about you coming out to see me, but to think that you wouldn't even announce your visit!”

Beatrix turned to Simone with a faint smile. “Things have been hectic, recently. In fact, I suppose you could say I've been demoted. I'm no longer a general, as I mentioned before.”

Simone turned to look at Beatrix, and then at her brother, her brows furrowed in confusion. “What's going on, brother? Is everything okay at the castle?”

“What? No! I mean, yes! Everything's fine!” Adelbert grumbled, his frown apparent, “Beatrix has just returned from a trip to Lindblum, where they held a trial to see what punishment she should have.”

The pariah winced at Adelbert's words; she might not quite have said it that way, especially since Simone whirled to gape at Beatrix, her eyes wide. “Punish!? What did they do? Did they hurt you?”

“No, thankfully, no, it was more complicated than that,” Beatrix replied, shaking her head, “But I'm not a general anymore. I probably will never hold a position of authority, and my knighthood will be a stain on Alexandria's history.” She watched as Simone turned to Adelbert's stony, expressionless face, and his little sister turned back to blink in question at Beatrix. “I am a pariah now. I suppose... I guess Adelbert brought me here in order to let me have a roof over my head; I probably will not be able to find a place to live on my own anymore.” How would she even get a job at that point? Should she even get one...? With a child on the way, she supposed she would have to stay home and care for the baby...

...Beatrix's blood ran cold as ice as that particular thought crossed her mind, and she didn't even listen to Simone as she spoke with her brother (“Poor Trixie, well, I'm happy to at least help her out in any way I can!”). She placed her hand on her stomach, and she felt it flip. That was true: she was a pariah, with nothing that she could do to regain any semblance of honor or dignity. She would be trapped in this house, caring for her child like a... a  _breeder_ . She suddenly wasn't very hungry, and she pushed the food away with a groan. “...The flight has taken a lot out of me. Is there a room I may stay...?”

“Oh! Right!” Simone stood and began flitting away to prepare a bedroom. “You can have Adelbert's room, it's not like he'll miss it. Unless you prefer Mom and Dad's old ro-” She paused suddenly, as if she just realized what she said, and both Adelbert and Simone turned to look at each other, eyes wide. “What am I saying?” the younger Steiner said cordially, shaking her head and waving the thought away flippantly. “I'm sure you two share beds all the time, be back in two shakes!” She waved again as she left the captain choking on his soup and Beatrix only slightly dumbfounded. She turned to look at her lover, and she frowned at his despondent look.

“Simone is living alone, isn't she...?” she asked him, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. Their mother and father were gone, and Simone was running the store on her own. “And you've been too busy to visit. We've been rebuilding for so long, it's hard to imagine a time we've had some free time.” Was that another reason he brought her here?

Adelbert pursed his lips and played with his soup, his usual frown creasing further. “I was hoping that you two might be able to get along well.”

...Beatrix let out a sigh and stood, pacing slightly as everything came to light. She wasn't sure if she even knew how to get along with civilians anymore. Or well, “get along” with much of anyone. She got along with Adelbert well enough, but he was _Adelbert_. 

...And yet, it was better than living in the slums, and she wouldn't mind...  _trying_ , not only for her lover, but for Simone as well. She looked Adelbert square in the eye and nodded. “She's a very kind woman, I'd love to get to know her better.” It wasn't the perfect truth, but she was willing to give it her all to make it true.

She took a step forward as Adelbert rose from his chair, and the two reached out to take each others' hands. The Pluto Knight rubbed his thumbs over the back of her hands and looked into her own eye. “Thank you, it means a lot to me. I don't want to say that... perhaps I'm happy about these arrangements, but I know Simone will be taken care of as long as you're there to help her.”

Beatrix sighed through her nose, tossing her hair a bit and biting the inside of her mouth in thought. “...I'll need a change of clothes. I can't stand this petticoat, and I'll be happy to be rid of it.”

Adelbert kissed her temple and nodded. “I'll have everything delivered here as soon as possible. Please expect Laudo; he usually doesn't have anything better to do.” He was also one of the few knights that still listened to him, as well.

Beatrix smiled at the kiss, happy that at least her lover hadn't changed in his treatment of her; the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. “I am not thrilled with the prospect of waiting around, but... perhaps I can acquaint myself with the house while I do.” She was about to release the captain, but something caused her to stop and hold his hands tighter, and her brows furrowed as she glared up at him in righteous fury. “But you're not leaving until you at least say goodbye to your sister. The poor girl has been living alone for how long!? I refuse to let you just tromp off without at least spending some more time with her!”

Adelbert's eyes brightened, and his smile returned. “There's the Bea I know and love.”

...This time, Beatrix didn't even chastise herself for letting her heart soar at those words.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make this even longer, but hoo boy it's way too long already. Fun fact, we're like four pages away from being 100 pages long! I like to keep everything as one manuscript so it's easier to find previous things I might have forgotten. Plus the very end can house all the extra notes that I need to remember; it's genius, I say!
> 
> Anyway, here's the other big thing that a lot of after-stories do. Garnet gets stir-crazy and runs off with Tantalus or something because ???? so that she can be Dagger. Well *SCOFF*, I say! I gave her a body-double! Elizabeth can be Garnet while Garnet is Dagger for a bit! It'll let her be more active outside of the castle, I think, even though this won't mean she'll just go running off to the Black Mage Village on a whim or whatever either. Garnet is just allowed to be Dagger when she wants to kiss her man before officially naming him prince consort, is all.
> 
> Also uh... Simone is uhm... I dunno, she's Simone, what can I say. She's a different kind of dork than Adelbert, but she's a dork too, so they fit well together. She's an outgoing girl whose been living on her own for years, and it's kinda left a bad impression on her mental state, so Bea and Simmie are going to have to have a lot of girl time together to figure out how to help each other out of their slumps. I'm not a huge fan of throwing a ton of OCs at everything, so that's kind of the reason why their parents are dead.
> 
> The other reason is because *drama*, obviously. :V
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this part too <3


	15. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet returns to the castle to speak with Doctor Tot and Breireicht, and Zidane has a few heart-to-hearts with the castle denizens.

Garnet hadn't felt happier in a long time, walking about Alexandria freely as Dagger. She hadn't imposed too often on Elizabeth, and as such she never really went out among her people often enough. There were times she would walk around as queen, but going as Dagger was a slightly different affair, especially when she had a cute little genome following obediently behind her. Their hands were clasped together, and sometimes she would turn around to grin at him; she found that his flirtatious winks were sending a thrill up her spine, as opposed to confusing or boring her in the past. She couldn't wait to get him back to the castle and find out what to do about Beatrix.

...Oh, that was a sobering thought, and it brought her right back down to Gaia. As the group approached the gondola, Jasmine took control of the oar, and the girls moved to sit at the chairs. Zidane and Breireicht stood, of course, which left Dojebon alone: “Take five, Number V,” Garnet said, winking at him, “We'll take it from here.”

Pluto Knight V opened his mouth awkwardly, and his face screwed up in confusion not because he felt he was being snubbed, but because he honestly didn't know how to take a break, and didn't know what to do with himself. “Oh. Okay. I'll uh, go make the rounds and come on back on the next gondola! Then me and Jasmine can make sure there aren't any spies around the cast-” He was interrupted when the Alexandrian guard knocked him to the ground with her pole before casting off.

“Oops, sorry 'bout that, Doj!” Jasmine called out to him as he writhed on the floor, clutching his stomach and groaning. She turned to see Breireicht's blank stare, and she shrugged in reply. “What?”

The group was quiet as they traveled across the moat to the castle, and soon they arrived in the foyer of the castle, bright and full of energy. Immediately Garnet shook her hair out and turned to Jasmine, her royal persona shining through. “Jasmine, please call for Doctor Tot and have him come to my throne room, if you would.”

Jasmine faltered for a moment, and Zidane raised an eyebrow, but before anyone could make mention of it, she snapped to attention and bowed. “At once, my queen,” she replied before turning and jogging off. Garnet nodded and turned to beckon the others to follow her, and Elizabeth turned to blink at Breireicht, who shrugged in reply and moved in step behind his liege. Even Zidane jogged closer to the others as they followed quickly behind the queen, and the genome felt, for once, out of his element in the castle as things started becoming political. He wasn't entirely sure why Garnet wanted him to join them, although if he had to guess, he might say she just wanted him near after losing him for the past couple of days.

It wasn't a huge problem, because Elizabeth seemed out of her element as well, and they walked in step behind Breireicht as they entered Garnet's throne room. Zidane admired the architecture and the simplicity of Garnet's throne, and he watched as the queen moved immediately to the table, grabbing at a notebook and glancing at the Pluto Knight.

Zidane shuffled awkwardly on his feet as he and Elizabeth stood in the corner of the room, and he leaned over to whisper at her: “I guess she needed you to join us because you're 'Garnet' right now?”

The queen's cousin glanced at Zidane out of the corner of her eye. “I'd say you're not as dumb as you look, but even that would be a lie.”

The genome smiled amiably, watching as Doctor Tot entered the throne room with Jasmine in tow, and after Garnet dismissed the Alexandrian guard, the three immediately began their conversation to decide what to do with Beatrix. As the nobles continued, Zidane turned to talk to Elizabeth, now that they were “trapped” in the throne room without much to do, “Sounds like a pretty thankless job, so uh, thanks for helping Dagger out, helping keep her safe and stuff.” He knew that Garnet could take care of herself, but queens tended to have different worries than a head on attack, and most of her best ways to defend herself involved leveling the rest of the area. Besides, if someone _did_ attack Elizabeth-as-Garnet, then she might be hurt. Garnet could probably heal her regardless, but it was never fun getting hurt in the first place.

The cousin-clone, on the other hand, didn't care much for Zidane's friendly demeanor, and she crossed her arms with a scoff. “I know what game you're playing, monkey-boy.” Zidane's eyebrow quirked as Elizabeth scowled, “You want to be nice to me so I won't notice when you start weaseling into the rest of the castle's heart. It's  _cute_ the way you're pretending you love Her Majesty, but I'm not as stupid as the Pluto Knights.”

Zidane had spent his entire life being hated by nobles, so he had learned how to keep his cool when people started slinging mud, but he couldn't just let it drop when she implied that he didn't actually care for Garnet. “Sorry to disappoint, Beth, but if I didn't love Dagger, I wouldn't even bother living here.” There were tons of more interesting places in Gaia than Alexandria Castle, especially since it was basically a ruin (Not that he'd mention it out loud, especially in front of Garnet, whether she was listening in or not).

The two looked each other in the eye, each sizing the other up before Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the genome. “If you loved her as much as you  _claim_ you do, then you wouldn't have left her the way you did.”

“You weren't there,” Zidane said quickly. His smile was still on his face, but his voice was tinged with annoyance as he continued, “You didn't know what was happening, why I had to go. If Dagger or Steiner, or anyone went with me, I couldn't have been sure we could all get back home together.” It was better to have his friends go back to their lives than to follow Zidane to their deaths.

“I know enough,” Elizabeth hissed in response, not above treating Zidane with disdain, especially in such a private location, “I know that _you_ weren't here for the past two years. I know that you hadn't seen Her Majesty crying in her room, that you didn't see _my cousin_ having to be strong when the man she loved _abandoned_ her to save a man who _nearly destroyed the universe_.”

Zidane opened his mouth, but he paused. “You... have a point,” he acquiesced, although he didn't add that she was thinking like a Gaian rather than a Terran. He assumed she wouldn't appreciate him asking her to be a little more open minded about the stuff Kuja went through, and the stuff that  _he_ might have gone through, if he hadn't been “saved” by his brother. He crossed his arms, though not angrily, and looked at Garnet as she spoke with the doctor and the knight, and he let out a disappointed sigh. “I didn't want to be gone as long as I was, however. If I could have gone back with Dagger, if I could have been there for her the whole time, I would have.”

Elizabeth scoffed and turned away, but she didn't push it any further and instead took a deep breath before letting it out as a sigh. “Queen Garnet and I used to play with each other when we were children, and she treated me so kindly. She's my cousin; I love her more than anyone else in this world. I don't fight her decision to keep you here because I want her to be happy...” She turned back to Zidane, her face one of fury as she grabbed fistfuls of her sleeves. “But I will do whatever I can to protect her from people who would hurt her, and that includes you, if I must.”

Finally, Zidane could bow cordially to her and not feel like he was pretending to be nice to her, “That's completely understandable, Beth. I'll do whatever I can to show that my feelings are true, to you and to Alexandria.”

Elizabeth snorted. “Don't call me 'Beth', I only let Her Majesty do so.”

Zidane's smirk was mischievous. “That's an order I'm gunna have to refuse, Beth.” The cousin-clone dug an elbow into the genome's rib and he jumped out of the way with a snorting laugh. He watched as the woman's lips curled into a smile, and the two grinned at each other for just a moment before they looked away, back towards the object of their affections. Queen Garnet, meanwhile, was wrapping up her talk with Breireicht and Doctor Tot, and the genome jogged up to the Pluto Knight, and he frowned when he saw that the knight's countenance was one of exhaustion. “Hey there, Breireicht, what's the verdict?” He winced when Breireicht looked at him with a disbelieving frown, and he shrugged, “Sorry, bad choice of words. I meant what did Dagger decide to do with Beatrix?”

“Queen Garnet is a very wise monarch,” Number VI replied, his tone stating that he actually believed that and wasn't just saying it because she was his ruler, “She is worried more for her people than her own friendships. Lady Beatrix will never set foot in the castle again. As for Save the Queen...” Zidane pursed his lips when the knight began rubbing the bridge of his nose, “...It will pass to the next general, the one that she chooses.” He shook his head. “I should return to my post; I thank you for your support during the trial, Mist- ah, Zidane.”

“Woah woah woah!” Zidane shouted, sliding between Breireicht and the door, and he placed a hand on the knight's shoulder to hold him back, “You're not going back to _work_ , not after all the crap you had to go through! Yo Dagger!” He shouted across the room, and Garnet looked up from her conversation with Doctor Tot, “Breireicht's totally taking like the rest of the week off, right? He's worked way too hard to go back to work!”

“Oh!” Garnet blinked, her face one of confusion, “I'm sorry, I must have been too focused on everything, of course, Sir Breireicht. Please, take as much time as you need to recuperate. I'll let Steiner know you're indisposed.” She then turned to Elizabeth and smiled, “I'm sorry for you as well, Beth. Please, go get yourself freshened up. That dress isn't a lot of fun to walk in for too long, I should know.”

Elizabeth curtsied as Pluto Knight VI bowed in humility, and the both of them looked at Zidane before Garnet's cousin swept by them and out the door. Breireicht looked relieved, and he placed a hand on the genome's forearm. “Thank you, Zidane. I appreciate everything you've done so far in the castle, and I hope to see more of you in the coming months.”

“Pleasure's mine, Number VI. Just head home and kiss your wife and daughter, okay?” The genome smirked and whispered, “I'm sure your wife'll like having you to herself for a few days.”

“Ahahaha, you know how to make an old man chuckle, my friend!” Breireicht said, his smile brightening, “Alas, when you get to be my age, it doesn't come as easily as that. Pray that you never have to have as much trouble as I do in forty years.” He pet Zidane's arm, touched his helmet as if to tip it, and exited the room, looking much chipper than before.

Zidane waved the knight off before turning back to Garnet and swaggering up towards her. She didn't respond to his padding, but she didn't squeal when he wrapped his arms around her waist and listened in while Doctor Tot adjusted his glasses and tried not to react to the new growth attached to Garnet's back. “Ahh, yes, Zidane, we were just talking about you.” Zidane looked up from Garnet's shoulder, and the queen reached up to run her hand into his scalp and kiss his cheek. “It's about this... arrangement, you two have.”

“Come on now, Dagger,” Zidane said jokingly, nuzzling her ear, “a _lady_ doesn't kiss and tell.”

Garnet tickled him on the neck in retaliation and giggled. “We're talking about the future, Zidane. I know you're not big on that kind of stuff, but it would be better to talk about this now rather than later.”

Ohhh, _that_ killed his mood right quick, but he didn't release her and instead glanced at Doctor Tot. The good doctor let out a chuckle, his whiskers swishing as he continued,  “I know that Lindblum traditions are different, but here in Alexandria, a royal marriage is much more of a contractual affair. You needn't do much of anything at this point.”  
  
Ugh, “Affair” was right. Zidane gave a thoughtful pout, scrunching his nose up in disgust. “That _does_ sound like something nobles would do. So wait.” He glanced at Garnet, whose smile in his direction was slightly drunken. “This is it, right? Marriage and everything? That's what we're talking about, right?”

The queen flicked his nose genially. “Doctor Tot just  _said_ that, Zidane. I don't think he's too taken to the idea (I'm going a little fast, after all), but I was thinking about how much I missed you when you were in Lindblum, and I thought to myself that I didn't want to lose you.” She turned to him, looking him in the eye as he considered where this was going. “So what I'm saying is that if you want, I'd like to marry you, is all.”

Zidane stared at Garnet, his brows furrowed in intense concentration. “...So that's what's going on.” The genome hadn't been thinking about marriage, to be honest, but everyone else was basically already calling him prince, and the only person who  _didn't_ want him around was Elizabeth, and frankly, Zidane didn't quite care what she wanted at that point.

The genome didn't even have the time to consider the pros of the arrangement (aside from  _marrying the hottest woman on the damn planet_ ), for Doctor Tot was already piping up, “There is one other thing, Your Majesty,” he began, pushing his glasses up his nose. Both of their attention was on the miniature scholar, and his mustache drooped as he frowned in consideration. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked up, “Your Majesty, I have been thinking about the land of Zidane's birth. Terra, was it?” He looked at Zidane, whose brow was furrowed in confusion, before turning back to Garnet with a serious, worried expression. “I am afraid that, perhaps, the two of you may not exactly be... 'compatible'.”

There was utter silence. Garnet and Zidane looked at each other, completely bemused, before turning back to Doctor Tot. “ _Excuse me_ !?” the genome cried. He was pretty sure that the one time he saw Garnet naked that night a while back, neither of them grew  _tentacles_ or anything. “What do you mean 'not compatible'!?”

“Like two animals that appear similar, but are so genetically different, they cannot produce viable offspring.” Doctor Tot pushed his glasses back up his nose. “A mule might have a healthy birth, but they rarely give birth in turn.”

Zidane choked in disbelief. “Are you comparing Dagger to a  _mule_ !?”

“I'm comparing her to a horse, actually.” Doctor Tot's awkward demeanor was alleviated by Zidane's horror, and a smile appeared under his whiskers, “A beautiful, purebred mare and a lowborn jackass, to be perfectly clear.” His smile didn't falter, even as Zidane shrugged. Hey, props to him for calling it like he saw it while also being right on a technicality. “The point is, I am worried for the marriage later on down the line. What if it _is_ physically impossible to produce heirs? And even if you could, would they be viable? Would _they_ be able to have children of their own?”

And there was the rub. A royal was free to marry whomever they wanted, but they had to consider their children, or in this case, the lack thereof. Garnet didn't pull away, but her touches were a little less needy, and Zidane's hands were clammy even as they held her waist. The entire room was quiet as they considered what course they might take, and finally Zidane let out a deep, resigned sigh. He turned Garnet to face him, and he looked into her eyes with a sad, understanding smile. “I'm sure there are others, Dagger. Nice men who will give you strong, beautiful kids that I just can't. I may not be a 'prince', but as long as we're together, I don't mind being a 'consort'.” He was used to being cast aside; it was a part of who he was, where he was born. He didn't want to say he  _preferred_ it this way, but this was the future of Alexandria they were talking about, and Zidane understood it if Garnet had to draw him aside for someone-

“No,” the queen said curtly, taking his hands and practically crushing them in hers, “I care for you too much, Zidane. I don't want to share you with anyone, so you shouldn't have to share me!” She took a breath to steel herself, and she squared her shoulders. “We'll find a way to figure this out; we always do.” She released her breath, and her expression softened into a maternal smile before she pet his hands reassuringly. “We always do.”

Zidane searched his lover's features, his hands trembling with emotion. He didn't want to cry, really; especially not in front of Doctor Tot, but after all of this, after watching Steiner and Beatrix nearly get separated... after worrying about being Alexandria's sole Heart... after wondering if he would even be living there the next decade...

Everything came spilling forth, and he finally coughed out a sob, wrapping his arms around Garnet gratefully. “Thank you,” he whimpered, feeling so relieved, “Thank you so much, Dagger, I don't. You can't know how much that means to me...!” To know that no matter what happened, whatever came to pass, that he would have a home he could go back to, to have a family that would love him. His brothers in Tantalus were always there, but they weren't  _Garnet_ , and hearing, finally, that the woman he loved more than his own life would choose him over her kingdom... He couldn't take it any longer.

The queen reached up to hold him assuredly, wrapping her arms up from under his armpits so she could support him as he cried into her shoulder and clung to her like she was the last person on Gaia. “Of course... of course, Zidane. You're my canary, and I would love nothing more than to keep you safe in the cage of my bosom,” she said, quoting  _I Want to Be Your Canary._

Zidane nodded, understanding the reference, but he couldn't help himself. “I  _do_ like your bosom a lot...”

“There we go, that's the Zidane I know,” Garnet replied, kissing him on the temple and squeezing him tighter. “...You know, you really _do_ get clingy when you're sad...”

“I said I was serious about that,” the genome muttered into her collarbone, sounding a little scandalized. He took a deep breath and gave her a quick squeeze in return. It was then that he heard the click of a door that signaled that they were truly alone, and he allowed himself to let his tears spill forth fully, knowing that the only person who could see it was his beloved. He practically fell on Garnet, who supported him with a coo and leaned on the table with a knowing smile. Zidane could hardly handle the feeling of absolute security, and he clutched her even tighter.

“There there,” she murmured, kissing him again and massaging his back. “We're here, together, and nothing will ever change that.”

“Y-yeah,” he agreed, nuzzling the crook of her neck. He prayed, more than anything, that she would be right.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO OKAY Here are some things I've been thinking of about this chapter. First off, I know a lot of people really like Kuja, enough that when he comes up in conversation, I am a little baffled at how easily people ignore his murder spree because "he was sad about it at the end". Yet Brahne was sad that she went on a murder spree and everyone thinks she's mean and no one can imagine why Garnet wanted to save her.
> 
> I guess if you're ugly you're not allowed to be forgiven.
> 
> Anyway I get it, forgiveness is cool; on the other hand I also want to show off that it's hard for the Gaians to accept that kind of stuff because, well, he *went on a killing spree*. Zidane is a bro about it, but I also think he's smart enough to realize everyone else has a point, kinda.
> 
> Second, I dunno, I've seen a few fanfics where they go into the idea that these two probably wouldn't be able to have kids, and like, it's a cool idea! We'll see where I decide to go with it.
> 
> I also remember lots of fics doing the "ugh Zidane why won't you ask me to marry you?" kinda thing and *psh* this is an Alexandrian we're talking about, she's just going to ask a dude straight up, no waiting for "the man" to do it for her, *pshhhh*.
> 
> LASTLY UH WHOOPS HORSES KIND OF DON'T EXIST IN FINAL FANTASY ANYMORE? I mean mules are kind of the easiest thing to mention when talking about chromosomes, the other being Ligers, I think? Anyway, Horses existed in FF1 and 2 at least, so I'm going to say that the Mist made them go insane (a reference to the "Mad Ponies" of FF1 :V) and people just kinda went with chocobos instead because it was easier than trying to use a maddened, mist-addled mare. They're still around in Zamo Basin, they just kinda are endangered and are still coming off of their Mist high. Maybe in a few generations people can use them again? *shruggggg*
> 
> Also Lastlyx2? I'm sorry if people don't like Zidane being a crybaby sometimes, but I really wanted to reference that time back at the end of Disk 2 where he mentions that he gets "really clingy when he's sad", and this was the best place to do so, I feel. Plus it's a good turning point, where he finally is able to accept that this *is* what he wants.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed it~!


End file.
